Pokemon E Black
by xylomophone96
Summary: After inadvertently unlocking the mystery of the Abyssal Ruins, Ethan Black is set on a path filled with friendship, conflict and secrecy. Joining a band of first-time Trainers, what seems to be just another Pokémon journey turns out to be a destiny that was written long ago. But above all, Ethan strives for the one thing he wants more than anything else: a place to belong.
1. Chapter 1: The Abyssal Ruins' Secret

Pokémon E. Black

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_Prologue: "The Adventure Begins!"_

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Chapter 1 - The Abyssal Ruins' Secret

Ever since he was a child, Ethan Black had felt underappreciated, undervalued. His family didn't seem to notice his accomplishments, no matter how great or small. This was because they were always doting on his older cousin, Cynthia.

When she was younger, her parents had passed away. Having inherited her parents' villa, Cynthia grew up with Ethan and his family at the villa in Undella Town.

When she was thirteen, Ethan was born. From a young age, Cynthia had somehow always managed to draw focus off him. It was unintentional, of course. Ethan knew that she was a kind person.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

As Ethan grew up, so did she. She moved out, leaving the villa to Ethan's family as a gift. She began to travel, taking up residence in the Sinnoh region. There, she became the Sinnoh League Champion. Ethan was practically invisible by this point. Not that it fazed him anymore. At fourteen years old, Ethan never expected much from his parents anymore. There were times he wished for another sibling. Maybe then he could pass on this curse. But, despite his wishes, he knew that his parents were already satisfied with a daughter like Cynthia.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Ethan spent this afternoon as he spent most of his afternoons; swimming in Undella Bay. He was quite the swimmer, having lived by the bay all his life. He had this game he played, occasionally with friends. He would see how far from the shore he could make it. It was a great idea, especially when the goal was to reach the dive spot.

The dive spot was a local attraction. Using hired oxygen tanks, people could swim deeper than anywhere else in the bay. They wanted to reach the Abyssal Ruins, a mysterious maze of passageways, littered with air pockets. Sometimes, people would return to town with extremely rare items found in the ruins. The goal, however, was to reach the centre of the Ruins. It was said that a great treasure was to be given to whoever reached the centre.

Ethan wished see the Ruins, but his parents forbade it. This was understandable. Every year, there were reports of people who had drowned. Most of them had been searching the ruins for too long. To Ethan, it sounded like the kind of thing Cynthia was interested in: Pokémon myths and legends. Naturally, she had explored the Abyssal Ruins at some point in her life, searching for artefacts.

He wondered what he could find down there.

For the first time, Ethan's curiosity overcame his better judgement.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Ethan discovered that he was further than he had ever gone before. There were no swimmers nearby. No waves, either. There were never any waves in Undella Bay.

He paddled out even further, and for the first time in his life, he saw it: The dive spot. It wasn't that impressive, really. There was just a sign crudely marked into a protruding rock. Still, Ethan had never seen anything like it. He gazed at it. What he wouldn't give to explore the Ruins, finding some rare treasure. He didn't have an oxygen tank, though. Sighing, he turned to go, but froze suddenly.

"Huh?"

He noticed a glint of light coming from his left. He spotted a discarded oxygen tank, bobbing away. Hardly daring to believe his luck, Ethan examined it. The oxygen meter was full. What was the harm in borrowing it? He could just take it back to the rental shop and say that he found it on the way back to shore.

Ethan grabbed the oxygen tank and placed the mask and goggles over his face. He took a deep breath and dived.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

It was silent, as if someone had just flipped a switch on the noise. He looked at his oxygen tank: he had plenty of time to explore. He swam deeper into the depths of the bay, until it swallowed him whole.

It was getting darker. Ethan wondered if he would just keep on swimming until he hit his head on the ground. If there was any ground.

After some time, he saw a flicker of light hovering in front of him. It was a beacon of some sort. This was it: the entrance to the Ruins.

Underneath the light was a plaque. It read:

_Greetings, traveller. You have just entered the Abyssal Ruins, one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in the whole Unova region. Explore to your heart's content! If you find any treasure floating around, you are free to take it with you and do what you will with it. If you are brave enough, you may even make it to the centre of the Ruins, where no man has ever been before. A great mystery lies inside this place: perhaps the answer is in the centre._

He set off, curious and excited. There was light inside the Ruins, more beacons for tourists. Not all paths were lit, however. It was clear that a lot of this place was unexplored.

Along the way, Ethan found air pockets. He would come up for air for a few moments, so as not to waste his oxygen tank.

Time passed by slowly. After some time, he spotted a glint of silver coming in front of him. Curious, he swam over to it. In his haste, he scraped hard against the wall. His oxygen tank nearly fell out of his reach. Cursing his clumsiness, he moved to the silver object. It was another plaque, except this time, it wasn't in English. It didn't seem to be in any particular language. It appeared to be some random symbol. Ethan was shaking with excitement. Who knew how long this plaque had been here for? What did it mean? Could it be a clue to the mystery of the Ruins?

He decided to follow his instincts. Curious, he swam deeper.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

There were no more lights. Ethan was swimming blindly, feeling his way through the darkness. Out of the silence, he could hear an odd noise hissing quietly. Curious, he turned around before realising that he couldn't see a thing. Disregarding the noise, Ethan continued around corners. There was nothing and nobody around. Something about this place felt new.

Out of the darkness, another faint light appeared. He ventured closer, curious.

Below the light was another plaque. This time, it was in English. It looked as though it had never been maintained. It was eaten away in parts, and some words were illegible. Ethan used the light to read:

_The legend of .y.. ruler of Uno...kept ..e..r..m a.. ...r..m at bay... The inevitable truth... clash between good and evil... ...fate of...The one with ...r..o... has the power to...two heroes...battle of our time...This hero...power to master ...i..o..and calm ..u...e..from...life as we know it. Inside this Poke Ball...hero shall emerge...by choice...must not be forced...Fate will have a hand in this...before the end..._

The plaque ended there. Utterly bewildered, Ethan read through it again, hoping to glean some new information. From what was legible, it seemed there would be some kind of 'clash' between two heroes.

_Inside this Poké Ball?_ he thought. From his little knowledge of Pokèmon, Ethan knew that they were captured inside Poke Balls. He had never had a Pokèmon before.

Below the plaque was a small spherical-shaped hole, carved into the wall. There was something filling the indent. It was a spherical ball, red and silver.

_This must be a Poké Ball_, he thought to himself excitedly. _What if there's something inside it?_ Ethan moved to open it, but paused. What if there was a Pokémon inside it? It could drown! Despite his curiosity, Ethan held back, deciding to open it when he reached the surface.

Keen to leave now, he began making his way back through the passage. Gathering his bearings, he found his way back to a familiar spot. He began to see little yellow lights again, marking the way out of the ruins. Then, he began to hear a noise.

_Hiss._

It was that same noise again, but louder. Again, he could hear it coming from behind him. Confused, Ethan looked around. There was nothing. He was still alone, and yet he could still hear that noise.

Water was bubbling in front of him. What was happening? Frightened, he looked for the source of the noise, but couldn't find anything. There was nothing here. All he had on him was the Ball and the oxygen tank.

_Wait…_

He snatched at the tank and stared at it, horrified. A tiny hole had punctured the tank. Air was leaking out of it in little bubbles. His oxygen meter had depleted rapidly and it was still going down. He had mere minutes of air left.

The adrenalin kicked in. Ethan kicked off the wall and swam back the way he came

_Stay calm_, he told himself. _Don't waste your air._

As he kicked furiously, Ethan threw a glance at his oxygen meter. He had a tenth of his oxygen left. Maybe, just maybe, he would make it in time. He pushed on, praying that he would find someone to help him along the way.

With a thrill of relief, he reached the familiar entrance. As he began to leave, he began to choke. He scrambled around blindly, searching for an air pocket. Finding one, he threw his head over the surface, spitting out water and gulping in lungfuls of air. This was it. He had one chance to make it out of this. He discarded the tank and mask. He wouldn't need it anymore.

Taking one last deep breath, he plunged under and began the sprint to the surface.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The light from the surface was getting closer. His lungs burned. _I'm going to make it_, he thought, determined.

He had almost reached the surface, when the Poké Ball slipped from his grasp. The heavy ball sank like a stone, vanishing into the darkness. Panicked, Ethan quickly weighed up his options. If he went after the Ball, he would drown. If he moved to the surface, he would lose it. What if a Pokémon was released? It could drown!

Making his final decision, Ethan kicked upwards, propelling himself back down into the bay. It was so close. He reached for it.

_Got it!_ Ethan snatched up the Poké Ball and pushed upwards. His vision was white. He couldn't see a thing. Flailing wildly, he threw one arm in front of the other, fighting not just for his life, but for whatever was inside that red and silver ball in his hand. His lungs tightened; he could feel a thousand needles stabbing into his chest. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest, refusing to fight any longer. His vision turned black and the world vanished around him.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**


	2. Chapter 2: A New Life

Chapter 2 – A New Life

Undella Town is a beautiful place. The gentle breeze moves gives the crystal clear waves a lazy slur as they smoothly sweep across the shore. Off in the distance, the gentle melody of a piano can be heard, presumably played by one of the Riches, the wealthy billionaires of the town. The afternoon sun gives the bay a picturesque view of the world. Many aspiring artists can be seen on the beach sketching their surroundings into a blank canvas. Everything about Undella Town is calm and soothing.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

But not today. The calm demeanour, empty beaches and tinkling piano melodies had been replaced by a general hubbub surrounding the shore. Even the Riches had had the decency to come out of their villa and express their concern. It seemed the whole of Undella had flocked to the beach to see what was happening.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Light flooded his previously dark vision as he opened his eyes. Coughing up a lungful of salty sea-water, Ethan rolled over onto his side and looked around. All he could see were the many feet of everyone who had come to help search for him. The closest people he could see were his mother and father. She had tears in her eyes, but was smiling in relief.

"Hi," whispered Ethan, and then he fainted.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"…but what was he doing out there?"

"How should I know? I just found him writhing around in the bay."

"You're right. Sorry. Thank you for helping us to find him."

Voices were the first thing Ethan heard when he woke. The salty smell of the beach had been replaced by the familiar one of home; not the home he had originally been raised in, but the modest villa Cynthia had entrusted to his parents.

"Ah, you're awake!" came a familiar voice. It was that of Ryan, who ran the stalls down at the local markets.

"Y-yeah," said Ethan, rubbing his head gently as he spoke. He wondered why Ryan would even be here, and then it clicked. "Thanks for…for saving my life."

Ryan smiled. "Well, that's alright," he said, "Just don't make me have to do it again, okay?" He looked over at Ethan's parents. "I should be heading off now. Take care."

"Thank you," said Ethan's mother as he disappeared from the room. Ethan sat up slowly. "What happened?" he asked his parents.

"Well, maybe you could help us out with that one, son," answered his father sternly. "For starters, what on earth were you doing so far out in the bay?"

"I-I was-"

"Visiting the Ruins?" his father finished his sentence for him. "You know how we feel about you going there, Ethan. People have drowned there! You almost did today!"

"I know, and I'm sorry! I didn't mean for it to happen-" Ethan started to explain, then suddenly stopped. _The Pokè Ball! _"Where is it?" he asked frantically, scanning his room as he did so.

"Where is what?" asked his mother.

"The-" Ethan began, and then stopped again. What would happen if he told them? Knowing his parents, he would never see it again. "The oxygen tank," he finished lamely.

"Oh, that? Ryan has it. He took it off you when you surfaced. He had it with him just now, didn't you see?" answered his mother.

_Could it be, _wondered Ethan, _no one knows about the Ball but me and Ryan?_

The question plagued his mind for the rest of the night as he drifted in and out of nightmares of drowning, the hissing of the oxygen tank and the secret of the Ruins.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The next day, Ethan's parents dropped the news on him. "You're going to live with your cousin for a while," his father told him over breakfast. Ethan froze. "No," he said firmly, "I'm not going."

"You're going whether you like it or not," threatened his father. "We knew you weren't mature enough to deal with independence. You showed us that much yesterday. So we talked it over last night and agreed it's for the best. You will stay with Cynthia until you're mature enough to be able to come back and live your life the way we want you to."

"No," repeated Ethan, "I'm not going."

His mother sighed. "Oh, Ethan. You need to stop this act. Pining for attention every other day and now this. It's as if you think you need to try and kill yourself just so we'll pay attention to you."

Rage overcame Ethan. "You know what? You're actually half right! I have been trying to get your attention for a while now. You know why? Because of _her_! Because of Cynthia! Ever since I was born, it feels like she's your only child, like she's the only one you're proud of! She's not even yours!"

"That is no way to speak about your cousin like that!" yelled his mother. But Ethan kept going. "You know what the weirdest part of it is? I don't blame her. It's not her fault her parents died. But you could at least have the decency to acknowledge me once in a while! God, she's not even in the house anymore and you still go on about her. Well, guess what? I'm here! I'm a human being! All I want is for you to say, _just once_, that you're proud of me and that you're proud to be my parents!"

"That's enough!" interrupted his father. He paused; then continued in a calmer tone. "Ethan. You're going. Maybe the time is right for you. Maybe this trip is just what you need to clear your head and get your priorities sorted."

Ethan sagged. He had been afraid that his father would say that. "How... how soon am I leaving?" he asked tearfully. His parents exchanged glances for a second. "Tomorrow," replied his mother.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Ethan spent the rest of the day saying goodbye to his friends, everyone that he had known well. When asked if he was coming back, he just shook his head and replied, "We'll see." It was nearly evening when he was heading back home when he remembered someone he had forgotten to see.

"Hey, Ethan!" said Ryan when he appeared on his doorway. "What are you doing back so soon?"

"Um, I…I'm leaving tomorrow," said Ethan quietly. "I just wanted to know if you… took something of mine yesterday."

Ryan nodded. "I had a feeling you'd be back for it. Hang on a minute." Ryan disappeared from the doorway for some time, before returning with the Pokè Ball, perfectly intact. "Here you go. Take good care of it. Not many kids around here are lucky enough to receive a Pokèmon anymore. Your parents must put a lot of trust in you to give it to you."

"Actually," confessed Ethan, "I found it; in the Abyssal Ruins." And he went on to explain everything that had happened in the Ruins: the writing on the plaque, the alcove that had held the Pokè Ball, right up until the moment when he had passed out.

Ryan's usually cheerful face suddenly turned serious. "Ethan," he said, "Do you know what you've done? You've uncovered the mystery of the Abyssal Ruins."

"What?" gasped Ethan. "That's ridiculous! People have been diving there for over a decade and found nothing! How could I have found the secret on my first time in?"

Ryan paused for a moment, considering this. Taking a deep breath, he answered, "Well, maybe the plaque was right. Maybe it was fate that caused you to find the Pokèmon." Ethan was startled by this. He hadn't considered it seriously before, but the thought that a Pokèmon, a whole life, could be waiting for him inside this Ball was both exhilarating and terrifying. "Well… what should I do with it?"

"I think," sighed Ryan, "that you should take it with you. Hopefully, you can uncover this mystery, as well as the meaning of that prophecy."

_Prophecy_. Ethan rolled the word around in his mouth. The idea that he could be involved with something as ancient as a prophecy was even more terrifying. _I'm not ready for this_, he thought to himself. "I'll… take some time to think it over," he concluded carefully, "Thanks, Ryan."

"Take care, Ethan," Ryan said as he closed the door.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Sleep eluded Ethan once again as he spent a second night feverishly drifting between nightmares of water and the prospect of leaving his home, his friends, everything he had ever known behind. He didn't know much about the world outside Undella Town. All he knew of the Unova region was that it was home to a unique variety of Pokèmon, not seen anywhere else in the world, and that the leading expert was someone named Jupiter or something. He had, of course, heard of this person from Cynthia during one of her infrequent visits back home. Maybe he could ask Cynthia for advice on the Pokè Ball. It couldn't hurt; after all, she had learnt to keep Ethan's secrets. As his thoughts swirled around him, Ethan eventually managed to push them aside for and was asleep in moments.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Hours later, but it felt like seconds, Ethan awoke to the morning sun illuminating his bedroom. This was it. He was leaving for good. When he'd be back, no one knew. Breakfast was a silent affair downstairs. His mother averted his gaze as she busied herself with jobs. His father gave him the occasional encouraging comment like, "Ready to go, buddy?" or "It'll be fine, you'll be back before you know it." Time seemed to move faster than it usually did. Before he knew it, Ethan was staring at his empty bedroom, bags packed and ready to go. There was only one thing left to do. The moment was here; all that was left was to decide.

_I've lost everything here_, thought Ethan, _I am not about to start my new life with regret. _

"Ethan!" called his mother, "Time to go! It's now or never!"

_Now or never_. This was it. Picking up the Pokè Ball from his desk and placing it into his backpack, Ethan Black turned around and left behind everything he had ever loved or known.


	3. Chapter 3: The Pokémon

Chapter 3 – The Pokémon

The sea-plane shuddered violently as it touched down across the ocean surface. Ethan looked out the miniscule window and caught his first glimpse of Nuvema Town. It was small, to say the least. There was about one main street and a few back roads, but apart from that, there wasn't much else. Quaint, wooden cabins for houses lined the main street, decorated with modest flora; there couldn't have been more than a hundred people living there. The plane gently slowed to a complete stop as the long concrete pier came into view. There was a small welcome party; after all, there were only 25 people on board. Out of the small crowd, Ethan could pick her quite easily. Long, blonde hair, dressed in her signature black garb, with a tangle of matching black leaves sticking out of her hair, Cynthia stuck out like a sore thumb in Nuvema Town. She smiled as she caught sight of Ethan. He returned the smile weakly. He didn't know how to react; he hadn't seen Cynthia in almost 2 years now. He doubted whether she would remember much about him; after all, she had been busy in Sinnoh. As he farewelled his parents at the harbour, they had told him that she owned a holiday house in Nuvema. Although she stayed there rather infrequently, she still had it regularly maintained and housed the occasional tenant there. She loved living there in spring, however, and given the fact that Ethan was coming, she had decided to continue her stay indefinitely. This didn't bother Ethan, as Cynthia was the one person he really felt comfortable with, like he could share anything with her.

_Even the Poké Ball?_ he wondered to himself as he picked up his luggage and headed out into the late morning sunlight.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Cynthia strode forward and gave him a big hug. "Hey, cuz," she smiled as she looked down at him.

"Hi," said Ethan breathlessly; he hadn't been expecting such a warm welcome. Probably his parents asking Cynthia to go easy in him. This gave Ethan just another reason to harbour resentment towards his parents.

"Here, let me help you with your stuff," she offered as she took one of his suitcases from him.

"Thanks," mumbled Ethan, still a little shaken from the unexpected greeting. They headed up the pier together and out on to the main street. They spent the first few minutes in silence, probably so Ethan could have time to adjust to his new surroundings. Nuvema Town wasn't much more than what he had seen from the window of the plane. And yet, there was an odd sense of safety and homey goodness.

"So, how was the flight down?" asked Cynthia. She took big strides and Ethan had to change to a fast walk in order to catch up with her.

"Good, yeah. Well, as good as a 9 hour overnight sea-plane can get," he replied. Cynthia laughed. Ethan was again startled; he hadn't been expecting Cynthia to warm to him so quickly. Maybe it was because he had been living with his parents for far too long. Maybe this move would be good for him; at least, until he had to go back.

"Well, if you're tired, you won't have to worry about anything in the way of noise. Nuvema Town is as quiet as you get," said Cynthia brightly. Her cheerfulness was infectious; Ethan couldn't fight it anymore. He returned her smile with a goofy one of his own.

"Hey!" shouted a voice. Out of nowhere, a girl of around Ethan's age with blonde hair zoomed past him, almost knocking him to the ground.

"Oh. Sorry!" apologised the girl breathlessly. "Hey! Cheren! CHEREN! Wait up!" As quickly as she had come the blonde girl raced off, dodging between houses and the occasional trickle of people as they milled around the main street.

Ethan stared after the mysterious girl. "Whoin the world was-?"

"We're here!" sang Cynthia. She appeared not to have heard him. "Welcome to my place!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

It was a nice little house, no different from any of the other ones Ethan had seen on his journey in. Inside, the kitchen was a little small, but the living room was very spacious.

"Your room is up the stairs, first door on the left," directed Cynthia. "The bathroom is directly across your room and my room is at the other end of the hall."

"Cool. Thanks," said Ethan as he headed upstairs. It only took him two trips to move all his bags into his room. It took the best part of two hours to unpack and position everything so that it beared some resemblance of his bedroom at home. It was early evening by the time he had finished and headed downstairs to help prepare dinner. When he entered the kitchen, he was surprised to see that dinner was already served and ready to go.

"I didn't want you to have to cook on your first night in," said Cynthia. "Come, sit."

He took a seat and looked down at the meal. It looked delicious, and tasted just as good. As the night went on, Ethan and Cynthia discussed his life in Undella Bay and her life in Sinnoh. All throughout the conversation, however, Ethan kept staging the argument in his head: _Do I tell her about the Poké Ball? _Finally, it was late and the two headed for bed. He hadn't told her.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Ethan sat at his desk, rolling the Poké Ball around in his hand. How easy it would be, just to throw it to the ground, release the soul inside of it. Assuming there was anything inside it at all. Ethan was torn between his curiosity to see what was inside and the possible consequences of what could happen. So far, the negatives far outweighed the positives. After much deliberation, Ethan came to a decision.

_I won't, _he told himself. _I will not subject myself to the consequences of opening that Ball._

He stood up and reached for his backpack, about to place the Ball in safely, when –

"Ethan?"

Cynthia was standing in the doorway. Ethan jumped and in that single moment, the Poké Ball tumbled from his hand. It took what felt like an eternity for it to fall; time seemed to stand still. The Ball hit the ground will a loud _thunk _and was enveloped in a bright white light. From out of the Ball, there came a white shapeless blob. It slowly began to take shape. Finally, the blinding light subsided and in its place, there stood a blue-skinned creature with four legs, patches of black fur on its body and purple spots around its neck. It had a short tail and a single horn on the top of its head. All he could see of its face was its mouth; the creature was blind.

"Ethan?" repeated Cynthia, "Where did you get that Pokémon?"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

_Pokémon_. This four-legged creature snapping its jaws away was a Pokémon. Ethan had never seen a real one before, only on TV. It looked positively helpless, groaning and whining. It must not have eaten for a very long time.

"Quick!" he told Cynthia, "Get some food from downstairs! He probably hasn't eaten in ages!"

Gobsmacked, Cynthia eventually composed herself and ran downstairs. She returned with some biscuits. "Here," she said. Ethan took the biscuits and held out his hand to the Pokémon. It sniffed, sensing the food and then let out a pitiful little roar, trying to bite Ethan's hand off.

"Argh!" yelled Ethan, as he dropped the biscuits and pulled his hand back in. The Pokémon managed to find one of the biscuits on the floor and started snapping away at it happily. Now that it wasn't hungry anymore, it was actually kind of cute.

"What is it?" he asked Cynthia. She shook her head. "I don't know," she confessed, "I've never seen a Pokémon like this before. It must be very old or very rare." She thought to herself for a minute. "Hang on. Yes, that's it! Hold on!" she cried as she exited the room and ran down to her room. She returned with a red device in her hand.

"This," she explained, "is a Pokédex. Pokémon Trainers use it to record data on any Pokémon they find. It should help us figure out what species this little guy is."

The Pokédex whirred and beeped for several seconds. Then, from it came a robotic voice that said, "Deino: the Irate Pokémon. Deino cannot see, so they tackle and bite to learn their surroundings. Because they never stop biting anything they can, approaching one without care is dangerous."

Cynthia gasped. "Could it be? This is a real-life Deino?"

"What's so special about a Deino?" asked Ethan.

Cynthia paused. "Deino is a virtually extinct Pokémon. 2 years ago, they started dying out in large numbers and very few have been seen since. In all my time in the Unova region, I've never seen one, ever. Ethan, this… this is one of the rarest Pokémon in the world!"

"What?" Ethan gasped.

Cynthia suddenly gave him accusing look. "Ethan. You need to tell me the truth: Where did you get this?" He opened his mouth to speak, but she stopped him. "No! I don't want any excuses! You better be careful about the next thing you say, because this is big. Bigger than anything we could have imagined. Do you know what we're dealing with here? This is probably the last untamed Deino in _existence_! So, I'll ask you again: Where did you get this Pokémon?"

This was it. The cat was out of the bag. It was time.

"I-I found it," he started, "In… in the Abyssal Ruins." And he went on to explain everything that had happened in the last 3 days: how he had swam out to the Ruins, the floating oxygen tank; the plaque and the Poké Ball, him almost drowning, and Ryan's involvement. Cynthia listened with full attention, her eyebrows knitted together; she was obviously thinking deeply about the situation they had gotten themselves into. It was a full minute before she spoke.

"I think," she said, "that it would be best for us to show this to Professor Juniper."

"Professor Juniper?" asked Ethan, "Who is Profess-?"

"Professor Juniper is the greatest Pokémon expert in the whole of Unova," explained Cynthia. "Her work is rival to none here; she would know all about Deino and where he comes from. If indeed, this one is male."

"So, what are you suggesting?" demanded Ethan, "That we just hand him over to some stranger, who'll lock him up and we'll never see him again? We can't do that! That's wrong-!"

"No one's suggesting we do that," interrupted Cynthia. "We'll just take him to her for examination in the morning. She'll help us out and we'll figure out what to do."

Deino growled happily as he finished the last biscuit.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The next morning, Ethan and Cynthia headed out early to Professor Juniper's lab. It was located on the other side of town, but was only a 10-minute walk. Cynthia had decided that it was safest to carry Deino around in its Poké Ball from now on; they didn't want to attract any attention.

"Now, remember, Ethan," warned Cynthia, "Professor Juniper is not going to hurt Deino. All she is doing is some tests and give us her observations. Okay?"

"OK," replied Ethan. He was a little nervous about meeting Professor Juniper, which should have been the least of his worries. He couldn't help it; he was only a 13-year old boy. As they approached the lab, he noticed 4 teenagers outside. And one of them, he recognised: it was the blonde girl from yesterday. She seemed to be arguing about something with the three other kids.

"No, no, no, Tepig is the way to go!" she was arguing. "Fire-type Pokémon aren't as common in Unova as Water- and Grass-types."

"That may be," said the boy with glasses and black hair, "But if you're going for strength, you want Snivy. He really packs a punch for such a little Pokémon. What about you, Hilda?"

Hilda had big, bushy brown hair. She wore ripped short shorts and carried a small handbag. "Well," she replied, "Snivy sounds really cool, but Oshawott sounds like such a calm Pokémon. Like me. What do you think, Bert?" The boy named Bert looked exactly like Hilda. From what it seemed, Ethan gathered that the two were twins.

"I really don't mind what Pokémon you choose, Hill," he answered, "They'd all be perfect first choices for you. That said, I would personally choose Snivy," and the whole argument would start up again.

"Who are these people?" Ethan asked Cynthia.

"Wannabe Trainers," she answered, "Most likely about to set off on their Pokémon journey."

At this point, the blonde girl noticed the two of them. "Oh, hello! You're that boy I knocked over yesterday," she said as she waved cheerfully. She seemed like a bit of an airhead to Ethan.

"Oh, uh, yeah," said Ethan. "Well, I'm Ethan and this is -"

"Oh my God! No way! NO! WAY!" screamed the blonde girl. "You're Cynthia! You're, like, my absolute idol!" She was hysterical; Ethan was afraid she might pass out soon.

"Uh, I've only been in town for almost a week," began Cynthia, but the blonde girl wasn't listening.

"Oh my God, I totally forgot to introduce myself! How rude of me!" she was almost bouncing up and down as she spoke. "Well, _I'm _Bianca. This," she pointed to the boy in glasses, "is Cheren. And these two," she pointed to the twins, "are Hilbert and Hilda. Nice to meet you!"

"Nice, uh, to meet you, too," replied Cynthia, uncertainly. Ethan smiled to himself. It wasn't often that he saw Cynthia flustered like this. Needless to say, she didn't cope so well under the pressure.

Cheren stepped forward. "Nice to meet you two." He looked at Ethan. "Are you setting off on your Pokémon journey today, too?" he asked.

"Oh, uh, no," replied Ethan. "No, Cynthia and I just wanted to see -"

"Professor Juniper?" came a voice. Out from the lab came a middle-aged woman in a white lab coat. There was no doubt that this was Professor Juniper.

"Well, it seems you four received my message," Professor Juniper said to the four. "So, I imagine you're here to receive your first Pokémon?"

"Yes, that's correct," said Cheren. "Are the Pokémon inside?"

"They are, indeed," answered the Professor. "And who might you be?" she asked Ethan.

Ethan sighed. So many introductions in one day. "Well, I'm Ethan and this is my cousin, Cynthia." ("Oh my God, her cousin! He's, like, sooo lucky!" whispered Bianca.)

"We just wanted to ask you a few questions about something," explained Cynthia, "But it seems you have your hands full today. We'll come back later." Professor Juniper smiled. "Nonsense!" she said, "Come on in, you two! Would you four mind just waiting a little longer?" she directed towards the Trainers. Without waiting for a response, she led Ethan and Cynthia into the Pokémon Research Lab.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

It was like a gigantic Pokémon laboratory. Everything seemed to have something to do with Pokémon: books, videos, Poké Balls.

"So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" asked Professor Juniper.

"I think it would be much quicker for us to just show you," said Cynthia. "Ethan, show her."

Ethan threw the Poké Ball and sent out the Deino. Professor Juniper's eyes grew wide as she saw the growling Pokémon.

"Oh my," she said weakly. "Young man, do you realise what you have in your possession?"

"Yeah, I do," he answered. "I accidentally sent it out last night and Cynthia told me to come see you about it. I found it 3 days ago in the Abyssal Ruins." He didn't want to mention the prophecy.

"Well, then you must know that you need to submit this Deino to some testing. We need to determine that it is the genuine article. From there, we can begin to establish what happened 2 years ago to cause them to die out."

"I was afraid of that," said Ethan. "I will give you Deino for testing. But I'm not letting you lock him up and train him like a lab rat."

Professor Juniper looked mortified. "Oh, no! No, no, no, no, no! That's not what I was suggesting at all! I merely meant that we can use the data from his test results to determine where he came from, that's all!"

"Oh. Alright, then," decided Ethan, picking up Deino and handing it to her, along with its Poké Ball. She studied it for a few minutes before coming to a conclusion. "Well, it appears that you were correct: this Deino is indeed a male. However, I will need to conduct a few more tests until we can find out the full nature of why this little guy ended up in your hands. I should have him ready to give back to you tomorrow, okay?"

Ethan nodded. After all, Cynthia seemed to trust this woman. "We'll come back tomorrow then," he said.

"I'll see you then," she said as she sent Deino back into his Poké Ball. As Ethan and Cynthia left the building, Bianca came running up to them.

"Sooo, what did you guys talk about?" she cooed. "Anything… interesting?" Cynthia and Ethan exchanged a knowing glance with each other.

"Nothing," replied Cynthia, with a smile on her face, "Nothing at all."

And with that, the two of them headed home, Bianca looking as confused as ever.


	4. Chapter 4: First Steps

Chapter 4 – First Steps

"What a day," sighed Cynthia as she sat down in her chair. "Who would've thought such a small Pokémon could start such a riot?" Ethan said nothing. He was still reeling from the events of the day.

"That Bianca girl, she was something else," Cynthia ploughed on. "I've never met anyone like her. She did give off this sense of… well, like she wasn't all there." The rest of the afternoon passed like this, with Cynthia discussing Professor Juniper and Deino, while Ethan gave the occasional "Yeah," or "Uh-huh," to stimulate the conversation. Eventually, Cynthia had talked herself out and headed for the kitchen. "Time for dinner," she said. Ethan got up to help her, but she shook her head. "Don't even think about it, Ethan," she warned. "You've had a huge day. You need to rest."

"No, I'm fine," Ethan insisted, "Really, I am." Cynthia gave him a suspicious glare, but raised no further objections. Once again, dinner was a simple affair. They had just finished cleaning up when the phone rang.

"I got it!" called Cynthia as she strode across the living room to pick up the phone. "Hello? Oh, hello Professor! How did it go today?" She paused for a moment as she listened to the other line. "I see. I'll tell him," she asked. Ethan understood: Professor Juniper was asking for him. _What could she possibly want? _he asked himself . The phone call went on for some time before it ended. Whatever the Professor wanted, it must have been serious.

"OK. Thanks for calling, Professor. Bye!" said Cynthia as she hung up the phone. "Well, that was the Professor, as you might have gathered."

"She wants to see me tomorrow, doesn't she?" finished Ethan, looking down at the ground.

"Yeah," said Cynthia. "Look, I'm sure it's nothing serious. Otherwise, she would have asked me to come along, too." Ethan looked up. "You mean, she only wants to see me?" Cynthia confirmed his question with a nod.

"You better get an early night, buddy. You've got another big one tomorrow," she said, as she shooed him upstairs. He entered his room, crept into his bed and for the first time in days, Ethan had a nightmare-free sleep.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Early next morning, Ethan's alarm went off. He switched it off, but didn't remember setting it last night. Cynthia must have done it for him. He checked his watch; it was 7am. With a massive effort, Ethan dragged himself out of bed and headed downstairs. Cynthia was already up.

"Good morning!" she sang to him.

"Morning," he mumbled back groggily. How was it that Cynthia could be so energetic at 7 in the morning? It defied imagination, really.

"Ready for another big day?" she asked as he ate his cereal.

"Yeah, I guess so," he replied glumly. He still couldn't figure out what on earth the Professor wanted with him. What was so important that not even Cynthia could know? The question plagued him as he set off for the Pokémon Research Lab 20 minutes later.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

It was 7.30 by the time Ethan reached the Lab. It was as if everything was happening just like it did yesterday. There they were again, outside the Lab: Bianca, Cheren, Hilbert and Hilda.

"Look who it is," scowled Bianca as Ethan sauntered up to them. She crossed her arms and examined him up and down with disdain.

"What?" he asked, utterly confused.

"Well, you must be very forgetful. Wasn't it only yesterday that you moseyed on in to the Professor's Lab and took away her precious time, meaning that _we _didn't get to choose our Pokémon!" She glowered at him once more.

"Bianca," warned Hilbert, "Be nice." He turned to Ethan. "Sorry about her. She doesn't have a lot of patience. For the record, _we _don't blame you," he said indicating himself, Hilda and Cheren.

"Excuse me?" retorted Bianca. "I am a _very _patient girl! I spent 2 whole hours yesterday trying to decide what to wear for my Pokémon journey!" As always, the meaning seemed to completely fly over Bianca's head. Hilbert threw his hands up in exasperation and walked away. "I give up."

The doors to the Lab opened and Professor Juniper walked out, wearing an identical white coat to the one from yesterday.

"Hello, Professor Juniper!" Cheren greeted her with a smile as she met with them. "I hope you have time to fit us into your busy schedule."

"Of course, Cheren." replied the Professor, returning the smile. "All of you can come in! However, I just need to talk to Ethan first about something."

"What?!" cried Bianca, "Again? We already had to wait yesterday! Why can't we-"

"Bianca!" interrupted Hilda, "Shut up!" Bianca's mouth hung open stupidly as she failed to finish her sentence. She opened and closed her mouth a few more times, muttered, "Sorry," and stared fixated on a spot at her feet.

"Well," said the Professor quickly, "shall we head inside then?"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

As it was early morning, many of the machines inside the Lab were still shut off. By midday, Ethan supposed, those machines would be beeping and whirring at full speed as the Professor dived into her research. As they headed over to her only clean work desk out of the six she owned, Ethan noticed something on the desk that hadn't been there yesterday. There were five red square-shaped devices. He was pretty sure they were a Unova Pokédex, like the one Cynthia had pulled out the night before. He assumed that the first four were for Cheren, Bianca and the twins and the fifth was the Professor's herself.

"Well, Ethan, I ran a multitude of tests on Deino yesterday," began Professor Juniper. "The results were… interesting, to say the least."

"Wait a minute," cut in Cheren, "Did you just say _Deino_?" There was no mistaking the twinkle in his eye: it was clear that Cheren was an avid Pokémon researcher.

"Yes," the Professor answered hesitantly, "This Deino was found by Ethan earlier this week. When he came here, he showed it to me and I conducted some tests on it. You did do the right thing, by the way, if you were concerned at all," she added as she turned to Ethan. "Goodness knows what might have happened if thieves had gotten hold of it."

"So, what were the results?" asked Ethan. The Professor pulled out a file from a desk drawer. It was labelled with a picture of Deino. She opened it and began to read.

"It appears that the Deino you found has had quite a journey. From what it says here, this one had been in the Ruins for quite some time; a little over 2 years, in fact."

"2 years?!" exclaimed Ethan. "No wonder he was starving when he first came out of the Ball! How did he survive without food for 2 years?"

"There is a theory," explained the Professor. "I'm not sure how likely it is, but right now, it appears to be the only possible solution; before this Deino was locked away in its Poké Ball, it was sent into a deep sleep, meaning that it didn't require food. Kind of like when people cryogenically freeze themselves to preserve their bodies for a later time. I can only assume it was so that it wouldn't accidentally jump out of its Ball while hidden in the Ruins. Obviously, Deino aren't fish Pokémon, so they wouldn't be able to breathe underwater."

"Oh," said Ethan. He was still trying to get his head around her explanation. It seemed to make sense. "So, what does that mean for Deino?" The Professor paused for a long time before answering. "Well," she said, "Deino has been locked away for a long time. I'm sure that coming out of his Ball and into your bedroom was quite a shock for him. I can only assume that he would still be trying to adjust to his surroundings."

"And?" probed Ethan. He got the sense that there was something she was still withholding.

"And, well, I guess the easiest way for him to reorientate himself is to… travel with a Trainer. As a Pokémon companion." And with that, Ethan understood everything: The suspiciously long phone call with Cynthia last night; being sent alone to meet with the Professor; and the fifth Pokédex currently on the desk in front of him. The Professor was offering him a spot on her team to become a Pokémon Trainer.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"You don't mean - You can't be… serious!" he spluttered as he tried to get the words out. Him, a Pokémon Trainer? The very notion was absurd! He was sent here by his parents because of 'bad behaviour'. Why would he suddenly just up and leave to go on a Pokémon journey?

_Unless_, said a voice in his head, _this was why they sent you here in the first place_. But that was just as absurd. His parents didn't know about the Poké Ball and they wouldn't approve of him going off on his merry way as a Pokémon Trainer.

"No," he said firmly. "I'm sorry, but I have to decline."

Professor Juniper's face fell. "Ah," she said, "I was afraid of that. Well, I have to say, I'm disappointed. Deino would have been a great partner for you."

"Hang on a second!" interrupted Cheren, "If you don't want Deino, why don't I take care of him?"

The Professor looked at him in surprise. "I'm sorry?"

"Well, I am a Pokémon Trainer, as of today," he explained, "and I do need a starting Pokémon. Who better to start with than a rare Pokémon like Deino?"

"Hey!" cried Bianca, "Who said you get to keep Deino? Who says that I don't want him?"

"Do you?" asked Cheren.

"Well, no," began Bianca bashfully, but Cheren just looked smug, as if he had known what her answer would be. "Fine, take him if you want him so bad," she pouted. "I'll happily stick with Tepig!"

"Ah, yes!" cried Professor Juniper. "Your Pokémon. I almost forgot! Here!" She pushed a button on her desk and behind them a large circular pedestal rose from beneath the ground. In the center lay several spherical shaped holes, all of which were filled with a Poké Ball each, except for one.

"I was planning to give them to you late yesterday afternoon, but you'd gone," she explained. "Then, just as I was packing up, a boy came in asking for a Pokémon. He was starting his journey, just like you four. Take your pick!" Bianca stepped forward first. The Balls were all labelled with either "_Snivy_", "_Tepig_"_,_ or "_Oshawott_", presumably the names of the three starter Pokémon. Without hesitation, Bianca reached for the Poké Ball labelled "_Tepig_". "Come on out, Tepig!" she cried as she sent out the Pokémon inside. Out came a little pig Pokémon. Its body was orange and black, with a red snout and a curly black tail and ears. It was, Ethan noted, quite a cute little Pokémon. It snorted a few times, then sent out a weak jet of fire from its nostrils, then coughed.

"Aw!" cooed Bianca as she cuddled the Pokémon. "It's so cute!" she carried on in a baby-like voice.

"Ladies first," said Hilbert, offering Hilda the next choice. She stepped forward and took quite some time to decide before she sent out Oshawott, a little otter-like Pokémon with a scalchop on its chest. It wagged its tail happily as it sent several short bursts of water from its mouth then showed off with its scalchop. Hilda clapped happily as she sent it back inside its Poké Ball. "It's perfect! Thank you!" she gushed as she hugged Professor Juniper.

"My turn," said Hilbert as he took his pick. He seemed to have trouble deciding between Snivy and Tepig, but ultimately chose the Fire-type Pokémon just like Bianca.

"Well, Cheren, it's your turn now!" said Bianca brightly. "Which one do you want to choose?"

"Do you even need to ask?" cried Cheren. "Of course, I'll take Deino!" He looked at Professor Juniper. "That _is _alright, isn't it?" he asked.

"Well, I don't see why not," said the Professor as she pulled the final Poké Ball out of her pocket. Cheren held it in his hands, then cried, "Go, Deino!" The Dragon-type Pokémon burst out of its Ball snapping and growling.

"Hey there, little guy!" said Cheren as he got up close to its face. "How'd you like to be the first Pokémon in the future Champion's team?" Deino paused for a moment, then jumped forward and bit Cheren straight on the nose. "YEOWCH!" he cried, clutching his sore nose. "What was that for?!" Deino merely shook his head and turned away from Cheren.

"Oh- oh my," gasped Professor Juniper, "It appears that Deino is refusing to be your partner, Cheren."

"Could I have another go? Please?" Cheren begged.

"I don't know about that," warned the Professor. "Deino are very determined. When they decide on something, they very rarely, if ever, change their minds about something or someone."

"Oh… well…" mumbled Cheren, unhappy. "Could I please, um, choose one of your Pokémon instead?"

"But, of course!" smiled the Professor. "It's not like I was going to let you leave empty-handed after all!"

"Thanks," said Cheren. He stepped over to the pedestal. "I think I'd like…" he paused for what seemed to be an eternity. "…Snivy," he decided, "I'll take Snivy."

"An excellent choice," beamed the Professor. "The boy from yesterday picked Snivy too! He seemed to be quite the knowledgeable young man. Like you, in a way." Cheren tossed the Poké Ball and out came a green snake-like Pokémon. It had legs and a skinny tail, with a cream-coloured underbelly. Its nose was flat and stuck out from the rest of its face. It hissed a few times and then calmly strolled around the room before finishing by Cheren's legs. It paused before giving him a small smile. Cheren returned the smile and sent it back into its Poké Ball. "It's very calm about everything, isn't it?" he commented.

"That it is," agreed the Professor. "For the record, Cheren, Snivy is a male. In fact, all of your Pokémon are the same gender as you. Except you, Bianca. Your Tepig is a male."

"Oh, that'll be no problem!" said Bianca. "I'm sure I can tame that little guy in no time at all!"

"Wait!" exclaimed Ethan. After seeing their faces light up when they saw their very own Pokémon, Ethan had come to a decision. "I'll do it!" he said confidently. "I'll take care of Deino!"

"You will?" said the Professor. "Oh, Ethan, that's wonderful! Thank you! I'm sure Deino will be very grateful for what you've done!" Deino was indeed grateful. When Ethan stepped forward to pick him up, he practically leaped into his arms, growling happily. Looking at the little creature in his arms, Ethan couldn't help but smile. With Deino by his side, he felt on top of the world. Who cared what his parents wanted for him? They didn't understand what it was like to have a companion like Deino.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"I knew you'd come around," came a voice from the doorway. Ethan turned around. It was Cynthia, with a backpack in her hands. She was smiling like Ethan had ever seen her smile before. "Congratulations, buddy!" she said as she came forward to give him a hug. He returned the hug.

"But wait!" he cried. "What about Mum and Dad?"

Cynthia smiled. "Do you really think I couldn't keep a secret?" she asked. "What they don't know can't hurt them." Ethan's smile stretched even wider and he hugged her again. "I spent the morning packing for you. There's a Town Map inside the backpack, along with a sleeping bag, food and all the other necessities. However, I think Professor Juniper has some more gifts for the five of you."

"Indeed I do," said the Professor, her eyes twinkling. "You five are my team! With the Pokédex by your side, your job is to collect data on every Pokémon in the Unova region. In recent times, the Pokédex now doubles as a cross-transceiver; you can make video calls with each other whenever you like! You may travel with whoever you wish, but always remember your duty. Those Pokémon were given to you for a reason, after all: which brings me to my next point. You five will need these if you want to expand your team." As she handed them each a Pokédex, she gave them 5 Poké Balls each. The five teenagers were almost catatonic with excitement when they received their final gifts. "Thank you!" they said to the Professor. Before anyone could say another word, Bianca was out the door. "Look out Unova, here I come!" she cried as she bolted down the street. Cheren laughed. "I better catch up with her," he said. "Bianca! Wait up!" and he chased after her. Hilbert and Hilda bade farewell to Ethan, Cynthia and the Professor. "I hope we meet up again sometime," Hilbert said to Ethan. "You seem like a nice guy." And with that, they were out the door too.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"So, Ethan," Cynthia turned to him, "If you're going on a journey, I guess I won't be seeing you for some time." She smiled weakly, as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Don't worry about me," she reassured him before he could speak, "I'll be fine. I'm actually excited that you're finally going on your very own Pokémon journey!"

"Cynthia," Ethan started, "I… Thanks," he finished and gave her one last hug. "I'll miss you, too," he whispered. The two broke apart.

"Now, how about I walk you to the entrance to Route 1?" offered the Professor. "I forgot to mention it to the others, but I'll be catching up with you very soon. Keep on the lookout for a call from me!" The three exited the Pokémon Research Lab and Ethan looked around the main street as he walked up it for the last time. Nuvema Town really was a nice place to live, he thought to himself as they began to reach the outskirts of the city. They stopped at a sign marking the border between the city and Route 1.

"This is where we say goodbye," said the Professor. "At least, for now. The sun's still up, so you've got rest of the day to get your bearings and set up camp further down the Route."

"Thank you," said Ethan and he meant it. "Thank you so much for everything, both of you." Cynthia smiled. "I hope the next time we meet, it'll be sooner rather than later," she said. "After all, I'd like to see how you're going." Ethan nodded. "I will. We'll meet up whenever we can!"

"Goodbye, Ethan," smiled Cynthia. "I hope this journey takes you down paths you never knew existed, and that you find what you want in life."

And with that, Cynthia turned and was gone. The Professor gave Ethan a quick pat on the back. "Good luck," she murmured, and was gone too. Ethan stared after them as they gradually disappeared. With Deino by his side, he was prepared to take on the world. _Here I go_, he told himself. _No regrets. Just the greatest adventure of my life_.

Taking a deep breath, Ethan Black took his first step on to Route 1 and began his Pokémon journey.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

_End of Prologue: "The Adventure Begins!"_

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**


	5. Chapter 5: Battle!

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

_Part 1: Three's a Crowd!_

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Chapter 5: Battle!

The late morning sun smiled down on Route 1. Ethan checked his watch. It was 12.30, so he'd been walking for almost 4 hours. He looked down at Deino; he had let the Dragon-type Pokémon out after the first lonely hour of walking. "Just you and me now, Deino," Ethan smiled down at him. Deino growled and yipped happily. It seemed like it had begun to take a liking to Ethan as they had walked. The reason Ethan had stopped was because he was hungry. He looked at the nearby signpost by the side of the road. It read, "_- Nuvema Town, 10 miles. Accumula Town, 15 miles -_". Ethan sighed. This was going to be an overnight journey, he knew for sure. Surprisingly, he hadn't seen many Trainers at all. He had only seen 2 and they were over in a field having a battle. It was interesting to watch them for a few minutes, but the battle was soon over and Ethan had become bored again. He opened up his Town Map, as well as his Pokédex, and scanned the Route. During the walk, he had spent some time getting to know his Pokédex. There was an automated voice system inside it, which liked to be called Dexter. What Professor Juniper _hadn't_ told Ethan was that the Pokédex could do more than collect data on Pokémon. The Pokédex had some kind of GPS system that could scan his Town Map for him and tell him the Pokémon that were often found on that Route. Not bad for a machine the size of his hand! As Ethan began to put away his Town Map, the Pokédex beeped at him. It seemed he was receiving a call on the cross-transceiver. He accepted the incoming call and called out, "Hello?"

"Ethan!" Cheren's beaming face appeared on his screen, "How's it going?"

"Er, fine," replied Ethan. "What's up, Cheren?"

"Well," began Cheren, but Bianca's face suddenly appeared on the screen. "We want to have a battle with you!" she cried. Cheren pushed her out of view, giving her a stern look. "Bianca!" he reprimanded her, "What did I say about interrupting my calls?!"

"Sorry," said Bianca's bashfully, out of view of the screen.

"Yeah, so, a battle!" continued Cheren. "What do you say? We'll be waiting by the next signpost for you!" Ethan considered this. He hadn't had a battle yet and was cautious. He wondered if he should go for it or not.

"Oh, come on!" cried Cheren. "The only way for Deino to get stronger is to battle, right? And who better to battle with than your friends?" Ethan noted Cheren's use of the word _friends_. There was some merit to what Cheren said. "OK," he replied, "Sure. If it's a battle you want, it's a battle you'll get!"

"Awesome!" beamed Cheren. "See you soon!" The call disconnected with a _click_.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

It took Ethan half an hour to reach the next signpost. Along the way, he had sent Deino back into his Poké Ball. It seemed like a good idea not to reveal his hand to his opponents, even though they had already seen Deino back in the Lab. By the time he arrived, Bianca was waiting impatiently for him.

"Finally!" she cried, when he arrived. "What took you so long?"

"Bianca. Be nice," warned Cheren. "Hi, Ethan."

"Hey," waved Ethan. "So, I guess you want to have that battle now, huh?"

"Not quite," smiled Cheren. "I _did _say I wanted to battle you, but Bianca here couldn't wait to as well. So ladies first." There was a sneaky smirk on his face, which Ethan couldn't help chuckling at. Bianca suddenly looked quite uncomfortable. Clearly, she had opened her mouth before she thought about this, as usual.

"Y-Yeah!" said Bianca, trying to sound as determined as possible. "Ethan Black, I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!" Ethan nodded, surprisingly calm about it. He was sure that with Deino's determination, and Bianca's uncertainty, he might just have a chance in this battle after all.

"Excellent!" smiled Cheren. He led the two to a nearby field off the side of the road. It was clearly used for battling. Ethan stood on one end of the field and Bianca stood on the other, a tennis court's length apart.

"Now, because you guys only have one Pokémon each, this will just be a 1-V-1 battle," explained Cheren. "The Trainer who makes the other's Pokémon faint wins. Bianca, are you ready?"

"Yes!" cried Bianca. She seemed to know what she was doing now. Ethan grew concerned. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Ethan, are you ready?" asked Cheren.

_Am I ready?_ Ethan asked himself. He thought back to when he first stepped on to Route 1. _No regrets_, he told himself. He nodded. "Yes. I'm ready."

Cheren smiled. "Then let the battle begin!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Suddenly, Ethan felt a rush of adrenaline. As soon as Cheren had said those words, he knew he was born for this. This was amazing, this was fun! He threw out his Poké Ball as he cried, "Go, Deino!" The Poké Ball hit the ground and out came Deino, looking as fierce as ever. It growled and hissed at Bianca. She smiled slyly, cast out her Ball and said, "Here we go, Tepig!" Out came the familiar pig Pokémon that Ethan had first seen in the Lab. Eager to have the first move, Ethan opened his mouth, then stopped. He suddenly remembered; _I don't know any of Deino's moves!_ Alarm bells went off in his head. What had he done? Cast out his only Pokémon blindly and he didn't even know what it was capable of. Sensing his hesitation, Cheren called out, "Ethan! Think! What have you been using up until now?"

_What have I been using? _Ethan wondered. _What the hell is he talking ab_- "Oh!" he cried, "The Pokédex!" Scrambling for his pocket, Ethan flicked it open and quickly found Deino in his list of Pokédex entries. There were several headings. Ethan read through them: _"General information", "Gender ratio", "Habitat", "Measurements", "Moveset"_. Stopping at "_Moveset_", Ethan found Deino's list of moves. It knew Tackle, Dragon Rage and Focus Energy. Just as he was deliberating which move to pick, Bianca cried out in frustration. "Urgh! I've had enough of this. Tepig, Ember, now!" Tepig emitted several short jets of flame out of its nose before charging towards Deino. Ethan cried out for Deino to dodge, but it was a direct hit. Deino hopped around on the spot, howling in pain as it recoiled from the burn. Seeing his poor partner hurting like that, Ethan began to rage. "Deino, use Dragon Rage!" Deino managed to fight through the pain and inhaled a large gust of air. Charging towards Tepig, Deino opened its mouth and let loose with a powerful flame of deep purple. It engulfed Tepig, who howled.

"No! Tepig!" whined Bianca. She stared daggers at Ethan. "How _dare _you do that to my precious Pokémon?!" _Just returning the favour_, Ethan thought to himself smugly. His smile must have shown, because Bianca retorted, "Let's see how happy you are when I wipe that smirk off your face! Tepig, Tackle!" Tepig began to charge once more at Deino. "Deino, jump, now!" commanded Ethan. At the last second, Deino jumped and managed to avoid the worst of the tackle. However, Tepig still managed to clip the bottom of its feet as it tackled Deino to the ground. By dodging too late, Deino had somehow managed to cause itself even more damage by falling from a height. Ethan looked at Deino in despair. He was about to faint! Tepig, who had returned back to Bianca, was preparing for the final blow. "I have a feeling that this battle will be over soon!" she crowed. "Cheren, don't wait up!"

"Hey, Deino! Deino!" called Ethan desperately. "Please get up, Deino! I need you to get up and finish this thing! Please!" He pleaded as he helped Deino up to its feet. Deino swayed back and forth a few times before finally shaking its head and put its game face back on. "All right!" cried Ethan. "Nice job, buddy! Now let's finish this! Focus Energy, now!" A bright light began to surround Deino as it sucked in energy, preparing for its next move.

"Well, too bad you're not going to get the chance to finish that combo!" cried Bianca, triumphantly. "Tepig, finish it off with another Tackle!" Tepig began his final charge as he approached Deino. At the very last second, Ethan cried "OK, Deino! Dragon Rage!" Deino let loose a roar as it blasted a surge of flames once again. It was a direct hit, stopping Tepig in its tracks. Tepig rolled around frantically, trying to escape the heat, but it proved too much and when the flames cleared, Deino was standing over Tepig, who had sunk to the ground, unconscious. He had fainted.

"Tepig is unable to battle. Ethan is the winner! " called out Cheren. Overjoyed, Ethan ran forwards and hugged Deino. "We did it! We did it, buddy! That was amazing!" Deino, exhausted but alright, smiled happily. Bianca sobbed. "I can't believe I lost," she cried as she cradled Tepig in her arms. She glared at Ethan. "You're evil! How could you do that to my precious, precious Tepig?" She howled as she sent Tepig back into its' Poké Ball. "Come on, Cheren! Let's go!"

"Me? But-but what about my battle?!" sputtered Cheren.

"Oh, who cares about your battle?!" growled Bianca. "Just _look _at my poor Tepig! We have to get him to a Pokémon Center, stat!" Howling and sobbing, Bianca left the field and ran off down the road.

"I, ah-I… Oh, whatever. I'll battle you later, Ethan!" moaned Cheren as he took off after Bianca. Ethan smiled. Wherever they went, Cheren always seemed to be running off chasing after her. Oh, well. Their battle could wait. All that mattered was the battle that had just taken place. Recalling Deino into his Poké Ball, Ethan whispered, "We did it!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

As he returned to the road once again, Ethan noticed that the sun had begun to sink lower in the sky. Checking his watch for the umpteenth time, he saw that it was nearly 2 o'clock. He decided he would walk for another 4 hours, stop for the day and then rest. The next 4 hours passed without incident and as the sun dipped lower in the sky, Ethan found a cluster of trees by the side of the road that looked like a good shelter. As night fell, Ethan cooked himself a small dinner. It wasn't much, but he was going to have to get better at his cooking skills. He rolled out his sleeping bag and lay under the stars, watching the night sky, filled with elation at the memory of his first battle. He'd won! He knew next to nothing about Pokémon and he had won his very first battle! He couldn't sleep at the thought of tomorrow, but he knew that he would have to sleep sometime. Rolling over on to his side, Ethan closed his eyes and fell asleep. Before he closed his eyes, he could have sworn he saw a pair of electric yellow eyes staring down at him from the branches above.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The next morning, Ethan slept in. It was almost 8 by the time he woke. After having a small breakfast and feeding Deino, Ethan packed up his gear. Before he headed back on to the road, he glanced once more at the spot where he thought he saw the pair of yellow eyes. There was nothing there. Shrugging his shoulders, Ethan set off down the road, heading for Accumula Town. He had walked for the best part of an hour before he got back into his habit of checking the Town Map regularly. It seemed he was approaching Accumula Town. With any luck, he could arrive there by midday and meet up with Cheren and –

"KAAAAAA!" A wild bird-like sound almost burst Ethan's eardrums as a dark shape latched on to the back of his head and started pecking.

"Aargh!" yelled Ethan. "What the-? Get off me!" He took a swipe at the creature, but it jumped off and he missed. Turning around, he came face to face with a bird that looked like a baby eagle. Its body was mostly blue, but had a thick covering of furry white down. A single red and white feather rose from the top of its head, and its beak and claws were a bright yellow. However, it wasn't until he looked at its electric yellow eyes that he realised that this was what had been staring at him from up in the tree last night. He was sure that this was a wild Pokémon.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Whipping out his Pokédex, Ethan called, "Dexter! What is that?" Dexter beeped and scanned for a few seconds before replying, "Rufflet, the Eaglet Pokémon. Rufflet is an exclusively male Pokémon that will challenge any opponents, no matter how strong, without fear. Their frequent fights help them become stronger; approach with caution." It must have followed him from the tree since this morning. Ethan wasn't stupid enough to try and fight this Pokémon. Heeding Dexter's warning, he began to back off slowly. When he reached what he felt was a safe distance, he turned his back to it and began to walk away. He realised a second too late what a foolish mistake that was as he received a second series of sharp pecks on his head. "Ow, OW!" he cried. "Stop it!" He tried to make a run for it, but tripped on a tree root and fell flat on his face. Rolling over to his back, he began to crabwalk backwards to escape, but the Rufflet kept chasing after him. Suddenly, Ethan collided with something hard; not looking behind him, he had crashed into a large oak tree by the side of the road. Now he was absolutely cornered with nowhere to go, and the Rufflet was approaching fast. Throwing caution to the winds, Ethan shouted, "Help!" to no one in particular. Suddenly, the Poké Ball on his belt began to shake and Deino jumped out, tackling the Rufflet to the ground. Ethan was shocked. Deino must have heard his call and come to his aid! But now he had a new problem. Deino was clearly too strong for the Rufflet and was tackling at it constantly. The poor bird refused to give up and kept going up against the bigger dragon, only to be tackled back once again. Ethan was horrified. "Deino, stop! Stop!" Deino ignored him; he was too intent on his battle. Deino tackled Rufflet once again and this time pinned it to the ground. It twitched a few times, but had lost the use of its wings. Remembering his battle yesterday, Ethan realised that the Rufflet was about to faint. Deino began to charge at Rufflet for the final tackle, the one that would finish off the poor creature for good. Instinctively, without even thinking, Ethan snatched up one of his empty Poké Balls that the Professor had given him and threw it at the Rufflet. The full consequences of what he had done didn't fully hit him until the Ball had swallowed up the Pokémon. What had he done? He hadn't meant to try and capture it! All he wanted was to stop Deino from attacking it. The Poké Ball landed on the ground.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

_Wriggle_. Ethan knew what was happening. Cynthia had told him about it once. This was when the wild Pokémon attempted to escape from the Ball. Once the Ball wriggled three times and stopped, the Pokémon had been captured.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

_Wriggle_. Now, Ethan was beginning to think he had intentionally thrown the Ball, as if he wanted to capture the Pokémon. "Please," whispered Ethan, "Please be OK. Just be OK. Please."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

_Wriggle_.


	6. Chapter 6: Riley

Chapter 6: Riley

_Click_.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The Poké Ball came to a still and stopped wriggling. Ethan stood there in shock. He'd done it! He had unwittingly caught his first Pokémon. The shock of the moment stunned Ethan more than the elation of his first catch. He carefully approached the Ball, afraid that the Rufflet might jump out and attack him again. Deino looked as surprised as Ethan; he hadn't been expecting Ethan to throw the Poké Ball and had stopped mid-charge. Gingerly, Ethan picked up the Poké Ball. After deciding that the Pokémon wasn't going to jump out at him again, he recalled Deino and set the two Poké Balls in his belt. _Now, I have two,_ he thought to himself.

"Well done!" came a voice out of nowhere. Ethan jumped. Was it Cheren again? No, the voice was one he hadn't heard before. Looking around, he saw a boy around his age jump down from the tree Ethan had been cornered up against. He wore long black trousers and a black turtleneck. Over this, he wore a sea-blue blazer and a chain around his neck with an odd design. He had deep blue hair, almost purple, and he wore a curious-looking blue hat. _Who is this person? _Ethan wondered. The boy smiled. "Congratulations," he said, "I've never seen such an act of compassion before, the way you threw that Ball to save that Rufflet's life."

"I, uh, I guess I… didn't mean to catch it." Ethan stammered. "I just wanted to stop Deino from hurting it."

"Amazing," said the boy in wonder, shaking his head. "You certainly are an unusual Pokémon Trainer. What's your name?"

"Me? Well, uh, I'm Ethan. Ethan Black." The boy smiled. "Hi, Ethan. My name's Riley. Just Riley, no last name." He stretched out his hand. Ethan shook it, mystified. This boy couldn't be a day older than him, yet he talked with such maturity! Riley seemed to notice Ethan's expression. "I can see what you're thinking. Odd, strange? Well, that's me."

"No!" gasped Ethan. "I was just so… so surprised to meet you. I wasn't expecting to meet anyone here."

"Hmm, yes," Riley said thoughtfully, "This does seem like an odd way to meet. I _did _jump out of a tree, after all. Now, about that Rufflet you have under your belt." He pointed to the new Poké Ball on Ethan's belt. "What are you going to do with it?" Ethan though about this for a few moments. What was he going to do with Rufflet? He hadn't meant to capture it. Then he thought back to the Professor's last words to the team back in the Lab. She had told them to never forget their mission, which was to collect data on all the Pokémon in Unova. Surely, it couldn't hurt to have a second partner with him by his side? After all, it was quite a tough Pokémon. There wasn't any harm in keeping in. He looked back to Riley and said, "I guess that I'll keep it."

"Excellent!" smiled Riley, eyes gleaming. "I'm sure it will be a good addition to your team. I wouldn't count on it for battling any time soon, though. Not after the way your Deino pummelled it."

"Oh, right. Sorry," said Ethan sheepishly. Riley waved his hand aside. "No need to apologise. That's the whole point of battling wild Pokémon. If they're not weakened, then you'll never catch them." Ethan took in this new piece of information. He wished he were more knowledgeable about Pokémon. Everyone he met seemed to know _something _about them: Cynthia, the Professor, Cheren, Bianca, the twins and now Riley.

"Say, Ethan." Ethan's thoughts were interrupted by Riley. "I have a proposal for you." Now that he had gotten over the initial shock of Riley's appearance, Ethan began to notice that Riley liked to change the topic of the conversation very quickly. "Yes?"

"Where are you headed next?" Riley asked.

"Accumula Town. I'm supposed to meet Professor Juniper there."

"Well," Riley began, "I was wondering if you would let me accompany with you, at least to there. I've been travelling on my own for so long, it gets very lonely. Could I please travel with you for the time being?" Ethan thought this over. He knew how Riley felt. Besides Deino, Ethan had had absolutely no one to talk with on his long treks through Route 1. It would be nice to have some human company, at least for a while. "OK!" he decided. "You can come with me."

"Really?" Riley smiled. "Oh, thank you so much! This is so great! I've haven't travelled with anyone since I left Nuvema T-"

"Wait, what?!" interrupted Ethan. "You came from Nuvema Town?"

"Well, yeah," replied Riley. "Isn't that the only way to get here?" Ethan thought back to when the five of them received their first Pokémon. What had Professor Juniper said? He tried to remember what she had said, but he had forgotten. He pushed it from his mind. It mustn't have been too important if he hadn't remembered it. "Never mind," he smiled, "Come on, let's go!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Talking with Riley was actually quite easy, Ethan found as they walked. He was very charismatic and he always had something to talk about. Ethan didn't talk much whenever Riley talked about Pokémon because he didn't know as much. As night began to fall, they set up camp once more. They had just passed another signpost; they were 4 miles out from Accumula Town. Ethan was tired and was fine with camping out for one more night. During dinner, Ethan felt it necessary to tell Riley about the others who had left Nuvema Town with him.

"Firstly, there's Cheren. He's a nice enough guy, I guess. He's really smart, knows a lot about Pokémon. Then there's Bianca. Wow, Bianca. Where do I even begin to describe her? She's loud, she's stubborn and, not to sound rude, but she's a bit of a ditz." Riley chuckled. Why was it so easy to talk with him? Usually Ethan had trouble communicating with anyone, let alone a complete stranger. He went on. "Then there's Hilbert and Hilda. They're twins, they're pretty cool. And then there's me," he concluded. "Hmm," Riley nodded as he took this in, "they sound like a diverse bunch. But to be honest, you're the one I'm most interested in, Ethan." There was something in his words that made Ethan curious. He wanted to know why Riley was tagging along with him. "Hey, Riley, could I ask you a question? How come you were so insistent on coming with me? Surely you must have seen others Trainers on the Route." Riley sighed, looking pensive. "You haven't asked to see my Pokémon yet, have you Ethan?"

"Hey, you're right!" Ethan realised. And then he remembered. "Wait a second. Oh! I get it now!"

"What? What is it?" asked Riley, confused. But Ethan was thinking back to yesterday morning at the Professor's Lab. When Cheren received his Snivy, the Professor had said, _"The boy from yesterday picked Snivy too! He seemed to be quite the knowledgeable young man. Like you, in a way."_ Could Riley have been the last Trainer with the Pokédex?

"Riley," Ethan asked, "Is your Pokémon a Snivy?" Riley blinked at him and then burst out laughing. "Ha!" he guffawed. "That's a good one! If only, if only!" His laughter gradually died down and he took on a more serious composure. "No, my Pokémon isn't Snivy. It's not as simple as that, I'm afraid. Here, have a look." Riley pulled out a Poké Ball from his belt and tossed it out. From the Ball emerged a small blue, dog-like Pokémon. Its legs and torso were black, with a blue tail and a yellow collar. On the back of its paws were things that looked like round white growths. Its face had a black "mask", like a burglar, and it had long, dangly ears. It was almost as big as Deino, but it was still very small. Ethan pulled out his Pokédex and began to scan it. "Don't bother," said Riley, "This little guy won't turn up in any of that thing's records." Indeed he was right. After almost a minute of searching, Dexter said, "Not in records; Pokémon not identifiable."

"What?" Ethan was confused. "Why isn't he in the Pokédex?"

Riley smiled sadly. "Because," he began, "Riolu doesn't come from Unova. He's a foreign Pokémon."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"A foreign Pokémon?" asked Ethan incredulously. "That's crazy! Why would this little guy be-?"

"Unova isn't as open-minded as the other regions, Ethan," Riley explained. "There are places outside of Unova; Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh, where Riolu here comes from." The names stirred in the back of Ethan's memory. Sometime, a while ago, he had heard the names of those places, other regions that had their own native Pokémon. "But…what do you mean?"

"I mean," continued Riley, "That in these other regions, they allow Pokémon from other regions into theirs. Say, for example, there are Pokémon from Kanto who live in Sinnoh as well."

"Oh," said Ethan, "I get it now."

"You see?" said Riley grimly. "Unfortunately, Unova doesn't share the view of these other regions. It is the only region that has a completely unique range of Pokémon. All the other regions mix habitats, but Unova stubbornly refuses to. Any Pokémon you see here that can be found outside Unova is foreign, which is frowned upon by most Trainers here. Riolu shouldn't be here, but I brought him in anyway."

"But how?" Ethan asked. He was beginning to feel concerned. The first real friend he had made as a Pokémon Trainer and he was sounding like a Pokémon smuggler.

"I have an uncle who lives in Sinnoh," Riley explained. "I used to live in Sinnoh, but when I turned 10, my parents sent me to live here in Unova. Riolu was the first Pokémon I ever had and I wasn't planning on leaving him. But people here would be against it, so I had to sneak him in. If people found out that I own a foreign Pokémon, Riolu and I would be shunned." Riley stroked Riolu's ears. "But I'd never let that happen to us, would I buddy?" Riolu barked happily. Ethan was touched. This boy, against everyone's wishes, had snuck his Pokémon into Unova out of love. _I hope that one day, I can have that kind of bond with my own Pokémon_, Ethan thought to himself. "So, what does that have to do with why you followed me?" Ethan asked, drawing back to his original question.

"To put it simply, you reminded me of me," whispered Riley. "I don't know if you know this, but that Rufflet you caught shouldn't have been here in the first place. Rufflet are found in the northern region of Unova, not the south."

"No way," gasped Ethan. _Another rare Pokémon? _What was it with him and attracting unusual Pokémon? "And also because my Deino is one of the last ones, right?" he finished Riley's answer for him. Riley nodded. "Yes. Your Pokémon are just like mine. Unusual, uncommon, undervalued! I figured if I travelled with you, I wouldn't feel so alone." He looked at Ethan sadly. "I'm guessing you'd rather travel alone now that you know I'm some kind of outcast."

"Are you kidding?" smiled Ethan. "You're the first person I've met who I can relate to! You're unusual, underappreciated, you're just like me! " It felt amazing to be able to open up to someone who shared his concerns. "Of course you can keep travelling with me!" Riley smiled. "Oh, thanks so much, Ethan! I'd really love to travel with you! You just- I don't know, you just have this strange aura around you. I get the feeling that interesting things are going to happen because of you and your Pokémon." Ethan considered this. He hardly thought that interesting things were going to happen to him just because he had two rare Pokémon. His thoughts were interrupted by a beeping noise. It was his Pokédex; someone was trying to call him. He accepted the call. "Hello?" he asked.

"Ah, Ethan!" Professor Juniper's face appeared on the screen. "How are you?"

"Oh, Professor Juniper! Hey!" smiled Ethan. "I'm on Route 1 at the moment, but I should reach Accumula Town tomorrow morning."

"Fantastic!" she smiled. "If you'd like to know, Cheren and the twins have already arrived here and Bianca just came in! I want to see you five tomorrow morning. Meet me at the Pokémon Center at Accumula Town and don't be late, okay?"

"Sure! I'll be there!" confirmed Ethan. "See you tomorrow, bye!"

"Goodbye, Ethan," farewelled the Professor as Ethan disconnected the call.

"Was that the Professor you were talking about today?" asked Riley.

"Yeah," answered Ethan, "She's a nice lady. You'll get to meet her tomorrow, if you tag along."

Riley looked concerned. "Hmmm. A Pokémon Professor. I reckon that she'd know all about Pokémon. Especially _foreign_ Pokémon." Looking grim, he rolled over on to his side and fell asleep. Ethan did the same. The Professor wouldn't declare Riley an outcast because of his Pokémon, would she? Would she?

The question plagued him for the rest of the night until he finally fell asleep.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Early next morning, Ethan and Riley woke. They had a quick meal and fed their Pokémon. Deino and Riolu seemed to get on well. Ethan thought it was because they had similar backgrounds. Riley thought it was because they were the same colour. Ethan didn't open the Poké Ball with Rufflet yet. It was still weak and he was hesitant about opening the Poké Ball for the first time, especially after what happened the first time Deino burst out. Packing up their gear, the two set off down Route 1. They passed no one on their walk; it was still early morning after all. The sun began to rise over the trees as the two of them kept walking in silence. And as the sun peaked over the tops of the trees, they emerged from a final cluster of trees and beheld the almost foreign scene before them: Civilisation. They had arrived in Accumula Town.


	7. Chapter 7: The Outcast

Chapter 7: The Outcast

Accumula Town was somewhat larger than Nuvema Town. Instead of one main street, there were 3 and they all had several side alleys criss-crossing together. The first thing Ethan noted when he arrived was the amount of hills. Accumula looked like it had been built around the landscape, rather than modified the landscape to accommodate it. Most of the town was coloured a stone gray, although there were a few colourful maroon condominiums and apartments dotted along the main street. As Ethan and Riley approached the entrance, they passed under a modern-looking arch with an electronic bulletin board. It read, "_Welcome to Accumula Town_!" Surrounding the welcome sign were several advertisements displaying the weather, temperature, popular tourist locations and rare Pokémon sightings.

"This place looks really nice," commented Riley, "It's a shame we can't stay here for long." He glanced at Ethan. "Come on," he said, "We've got a Professor to meet." He set off down the main street, Ethan following close behind. Many shops were just opening, signalling the start of a new day. The main street was generally empty, although Ethan noticed the occasional morning jogger or fellow Pokémon Trainer passing through the town. Halfway down the street was a large building shaped like a large sphere. Its top half was red and the bottom half was silver, like a Poké Ball. Ethan had no doubt this was the Pokémon Center that the Professor had mentioned last night. As the building came into full view, Ethan could see inside the glass windows. The place was chock-full of people, most of them Trainers. In the center of the building, Ethan spotted several different counters; each of them manned by identical looking nurses with strawberry-coloured hair and pink nurse outfits.

"Well," said Ethan, "shall we head inside, then?"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The inside of the Pokémon Center wasn't much different from how Ethan had seen it inside. The only thing he wasn't expecting, however, was the noise. It was barely 9 o'clock and there were Trainers laughing, shouting across the building to each other and the beeping of Poké Balls being scanned.

"This your first Pokémon Center?" An older-looking female Trainer came up to Ethan and Riley. They nodded. She gestured for them to lean in close. "A word of advice; don't go looking to start battles here." She gestured around the room. "There are plenty of cocky young Trainers who are all too happy to show off their Pokémon. From the looks of your clean clothes, you haven't had very much experience. I'd watch out if I were you." She sauntered off as quickly as she had come. Looking around, Ethan did notice that many of the Trainers' clothes were indeed faded with mud and dirt. They had clearly been travelling for a lot longer than he and Riley had. Or maybe they had just fallen in mud purposely to look experienced? Ethan wondered if any of them had rare Pokémon like his.

"I don't know about you, but I don't think that revealing our Pokémon is a very good idea," Riley murmured in Ethan's ear. Ethan nodded. Riley had a foreign Pokémon and Ethan's Pokémon shouldn't technically be in his team in the first place. "How do we-?" he began to ask Riley how they healed their Pokémon when a familiar face strode up to them.

"Ah, hello, hello, Ethan!" smiled Professor Juniper briskly. She appeared to be in good spirits. "How are you going?"

"Really good, thanks!" replied Ethan. "Where are the others?"

"Oh, they're upstairs," explained the Professor. "There are several overnight rooms you can book here in the Pokémon Center. Here, I'll take you there." She stopped talking for a moment to glance at Riley. "And who might you be?" she asked kindly.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Riley," he said, waving. "I met Ethan out on Route 1 and we've been travelling since yesterday."

"Interesting," mused the Professor. "Well, I'm sure Ethan will be glad to have your company. Alright, Riley, you can come too. Let's go." And they were off, passing a throng of hotshot Ace Trainers. They stared daggers at Ethan and Riley as they walked past. Ethan avoided their gaze, but Riley waved cheerfully. "What are you doing?" hissed Ethan.

"Relax," Riley assured him. "We're with the Professor. They can't do a thing to us." He smiled as the three of them walked into a nearby lift.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

As they travelled to the overnight room on the second floor, the Professor talked to them about the Pokémon Center.

"You two will need to get used to the atmosphere here. Pokémon Centers are the most important place in any town or city for a Trainer," she explained. "The nurses here will heal your Pokémon free of charge, and there are several PC boxes where you can store your extra Pokémon." Seeing the looks of confusion on their faces, the Professor elaborated. "Pokémon Trainers can only carry six Pokémon at a time with them. Any Pokémon that you catch when you have a full party is sent to me in the Lab. Whenever you arrive at a Pokémon Center, you can call me to access your own unique Storage System. No one else can touch your account, so it's very safe. Here we are." She stopped and pointed at a door. "We're all in here." She opened the door and led them inside. It was a spacious room, with a bed and a television. There was a lounge area, with several comfortable-looking sofas and chairs. Sitting in the chairs were Cheren, Bianca, Hilbert and Hilda. They turned around at the sound of the Professor returning and were surprised to see Ethan.

"I found him," said Professor Juniper. "He'd just arrived downstairs."

"Hi, Ethan!" waved the twins. Cheren smiled and nodded his head in acknowledgement. But Bianca just stared at Riley. "Who's that?" Riley looked slightly taken aback at how forward she was. "That's Bianca, the one I was telling you about," muttered Ethan.

"Oh!" Riley gasped. "Right. Thanks." He smiled at Bianca. "Hi, I'm Riley. I met Ethan on Route 1 and he agreed to let me travel with him." Bianca just glared at him. She turned to the Professor. "He's not going to be part of our team, is he? We've already got so many as it is!" Hilda leaned over and punched her on the arm. Riley seemed unperturbed at Bianca's rudeness. "No, no," he chuckled, waving a hand. "I'm just tagging along with Ethan for the time being." Hilbert stood up to shake his hand. "Sorry about her, she's dumb as a brick," he whispered in Riley's ear as he shook his hand. Riley stifled a laugh.

"Well," said the Professor briskly, "now that everyone's here, let's get down to the first order of business." She turned to Ethan. "Now, I'm assuming you two haven't healed your Pokémon yet?"

"Oh!" Ethan had forgotten about Rufflet. The poor bird had been on the edge of fainting since yesterday. "I forgot to tell you: I caught a Pokémon yesterday!" The Professor beamed. Hilbert patted him on the back and the others cheered. "He's really weak at the moment, though. Could I heal him?"

"Of course you can!" Professor Juniper smiled. "Hang on a minute." She poked her head outside and called down the hallway, "Could we please get a nurse here? We've got some Pokémon that need healing!" Less than a minute later, one of the strawberry-haired nurses entered the room. She smiled. "Welcome to the Pokémon Center! Would you like me to heal your Pokémon?" Ethan and handed over his Poké Balls. Riley did the same. "Thank you," said the nurse. "I'll return shortly with your Pokémon in perfect condition!" She disappeared quickly and headed off down the hallway.

"Just out of curiosity, Ethan," asked Cheren, "What Pokémon did you catch?" Ethan hesitated and looked at Riley. He didn't know whether to tell them about the Pokémon he should never have seen, let alone captured. Riley nodded, as if to say _it's OK_. Ethan turned to Cheren. "I, er, caught a Rufflet."

Cheren's eyes went wild with surprise. "A Rufflet?" he asked incredulously. "But Rufflet aren't found on Route 1!" He stared at Ethan suspiciously.

"I know! I was as surprised as you are!" Ethan explained hastily. "It just appeared out of nowhere and attacked me! Deino was about to make it faint when I threw a Poké Ball to save it!" Cheren shook his head in disbelief. "You have _got _to be the luckiest Trainer I've ever met! You've got a Deino _and _aRufflet? And you've only been on Route 1!"

Professor Juniper looked at Ethan thoughtfully. "Hmm. Yes, you do seem to have quite the unorthodox team, Ethan. Those two Pokémon you have aren't exactly the best Pokémon for a beginner to be starting out with." She paused. "But, you _do_ seem to be coping well with them, so I think you should be fine." Her stare was making Ethan feel very uncomfortable.

Mercifully, Riley changed to topic. "So, what Pokémon do you guys have?" he asked them. Bianca spoke first, as always. "_Well_," she started, "Why don't I show you mine?" She threw out two Poké Balls. Out came Tepig, but the second Pokémon was one that Ethan hadn't seen before. It looked like a puppy, with tan-coloured fur. It had a large red nose and had very puffy fur around its face and ears. It was definitely the cutest Pokémon Ethan had seen yet; which was probably why Bianca had caught it. He pulled out his Pokédex and scanned it. "_Lillipup, the Puppy Pokémon. This intelligent Pokémon will face strong opponents with courage, but will flee at a disadvantage. The long hair around its face provides an excellent radar which senses subtle changes in the surrounding area._" Lillipup yipped at the sound. Bianca stroked its ears. "It's alright, Lillipup," she said in a consoling tone. "He won't hurt you." She recalled her Pokémon and Ethan turned to Cheren. "I'm positive that you caught a Pokémon."

Cheren smiled. "You know me too well, Ethan. I just couldn't resist." He sent out Snivy and a gray, pigeon-like Pokémon. It had a short black beak, a black patch on the back of its neck and a thick gray stripe down its most black wings. Ethan scanned the bird Pokémon. "_Pidove, the Tiny Pigeon Pokémon. These largely urban Pokémon like to live in cities. Unlike regular pigeons, Pidove are not attracted to shiny objects._"The pigeon Pokémon cooed softly. Ethan turned to the twins. "What about you two? Did you catch any Pokémon?"

"No, we didn't," Hilda smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, I'm very picky, so Oshawott and I are still waiting for the right partner. Hilbert here tried to catch a Patrat on Route 1, but it escaped and stole his Poké Ball too." Hilbert sighed. Ethan felt very sorry for the twins. He was getting to like them very much and it pained him to see that they were having trouble catching Pokémon, when he managed caught a rare Pokémon purely by accident.

"Now," said Professor Juniper, "I'll explain why I brought you all here today. I want to give you a demonstration in battling. Which is why," she said, "I'm going to have a practice battle with someone to show you how it's done." Cheren nearly fainted with excitement; it seemed that he thrived off battles. Bianca looked apprehensive; perhaps the memory of her last battle seemed to weigh down on her. Hilbert and Hilda looked interested. "We've never battled before," said Hilbert, "So this should be interesting."

"I'm glad you think so," smiled the Professor, "Because, I'm going to be picking-"

A knock on the door interrupted the Professor. She walked over and answered it; it was the nurse. "Your Pokémon have been healed and are ready for you to pick up on your departure!" With a smile, she closed the door.

"Great!" beamed the Professor. "Let's head downstairs, shall we? I'll explain later once we've got these boys their Pokémon back!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The seven of them made their way back to the front desk of the Pokémon Center. The same crowd of cocky trainers were still there chatting away, comparing Pokémon. Professor Juniper stepped forward and turned to them.

"Now remember, you want to get into the habit of visiting the Pokémon Center every time you come to a city from a Route. Even if you're just going out for some training, always come back to heal your Pokémon. It's free and you'd much rather be prepared for when a Trainer challenges you to a battle." She led them to the front counter and called over a nurse. "Excuse me, could these boys retrieve their Pokémon now?"

The nurse smiled. "Of course. Here you go!" She turned around and handed Professor Juniper a tray with 3 Poké Balls. "We hope to see you again!"

"And here are your Pokémon," said the Professor as she handed Ethan and Riley their Poké Balls back. Ethan took his gratefully, but just as Riley was reaching for his, Bianca appeared out of nowhere, swooping down and snatching Riley's Poké Ball from him. "Hey! Give that back to Riley!" exclaimed Ethan.

Bianca shook her head. "Hey, we had to show you our Pokémon! Let's see what Riley has, shall we?" Ethan's blood ran cold. He looked over at Riley, who froze. "Please don't do that," he said weakly. "I'd rather you didn't." People around were starting to stare. The crowd of Ace Trainers had even stopped talking. It seemed that almost everyone was staring at the seven of them.

"Bianca," muttered Hilbert, "People are staring. Give Riley his Poké Ball back."

"No! What's the big deal? It's just a Pokémon!" she said defiantly. Riley was starting to sweat. Ethan reached forward to snatch the Poké Ball back. "Give it back!" he said forcefully. But Bianca smirked and threw the Poké Ball over her head.

"No!" yelled Riley. He dived for it, but it was too late. The Poké Ball had already hit the ground. Riolu burst out of the Ball, yipping madly. Professor Juniper gasped; she realised what Riolu was. Absolutely everyone in the room stared at the foreign Pokémon. Ethan looked over at the group of Ace Trainers, afraid of what he would see. Their eyes glinted with delight, then with disgust as they glared at Riley.

"What?" Bianca asked. "What's the big deal? It's just another Pokémon, right? Right?"

"Riley," whispered the Professor, "Where did you get that?"

Without saying a word, Riley scooped up Riolu and ran out the door of the Pokémon Center.

"Riley, wait!" Ethan called after him. When Riley didn't look back, Ethan rushed after him. The shock of the moment had just hit Ethan. It was crazy how quickly everyone realised Riolu was a foreign Pokémon. He also felt a pang of sadness; he now knew how Riley felt whenever he had to go in public. The constant fear of people seeing his Pokémon and judging him. How awful it must feel, to never be able to walk with Riolu by his side. Ethan rushed down the main street, calling Riley's name as he ran.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

He found him sitting against a brick wall in a deserted side street, with his head buried in his hands. Ethan approached him carefully, afraid that he might snap at him. "Riley?"

"You see what I have to deal with?" asked Riley. "_This_ is what I hate about Unova. People here are too quick to judge me because of my Pokémon." He looked up at Ethan miserably. "Why? Why did Bianca have to do that?"

"I know," said Ethan consolingly. "She was stupid and she shouldn't have done it, but she didn't know, Riley!" He sat down next to Riley. "Look, I know what it feels like to be the outcast; the person nobody cares about. I got it all the time from my parents. You and me, we're underdog. But you can't let it get you down forever! We've gotta keep pushing on! Who cares what anyone else thinks? You're a great Trainer you have an amazing Pokémon that cares about you so much! Do you think half the people in that room had the kind of bond with their Pokémon that you and Riolu have?" Riley smiled at him. "You think so?"

"Are you kidding?" asked Ethan incredulously. "I'm actually jealous at how close you two are! I wish that I could have anything _like_ that kind of bond with my Pokémon! And you know what? I promise to do whatever it takes for people to accept you and Riolu!"

Riley stared at Ethan in wonder. "You would do that for me?"

"Of course!" Ethan replied. "Come on, come back to the Pokémon Center with me. We have to go see Professor Juniper and I think Bianca owes you an apology."

Riley shook his head. "No. I can't go back, Ethan," he said adamantly. "Imagine what everyone in there thinks of me!" But Ethan wouldn't hear of it. Standing up, he helped Riley up. "We're going back and you will walk in there with your head held high, no matter what anyone says. OK?"

Riley hesitated for a moment, then nodded weakly. "OK," he whispered. "OK, I'll do it. Let's go back."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Wait," said Riley as they approached the double doors of the Pokémon Center.

"No," said Ethan. "We're going in." Riley shook his head. "It's not that." He pulled out his Poké Ball. "Come on out, Ri," he called. Riolu burst out of the Poké Ball. He was still yipping away. Riley crouched down and leaned in close to him. "I need you to calm down, buddy," he said consolingly. "There are some people inside who don't want to see us. Just stay quiet and be calm, alright?" Riolu nodded and became silent instantly. Ethan was amazed. How did Riolu understand all of that straight away? Riley stood up. "Let's go," he said to Ethan. The automatic doors slid open as the three of them walked inside. Everyone turned to stare at them again. Suddenly, Ethan felt nervous. What would they say? He looked over at the crowd of Ace Trainers again. They had affixed their usual evil stares at Riley and Riolu. The three of them began to walk to the counter. Suddenly, two of the Ace Trainers detached themselves from the group and barred Ethan and Riley's way to the front counter. "You're not welcome here," the taller one said to Riley. Riley looked fearful. Then, he stood up straight and looked him in the eye. "I'm looking for Professor Juniper," he said, his voice shaking. He and Ethan made to go around them, when they were stopped again.

"I don't think we made our point clear the first time," said the smaller one dangerously. "Leave, now."

There was something venomous in his voice that made Ethan want to run back the way he had come, but Riley just stared him down. ""I'm looking for Professor Juniper," he repeated, this time in a steadfast voice. He stood resolute. Ethan felt helpless. Poor Riley was fighting this battle all on his own and there was nothing he could do to help him. Wait a second, maybe there was! Ethan pulled out a Poké Ball and sent out Deino. The Dragon-type Pokémon saw what Ethan was doing and stood still, staring around the Pokémon Center.

The bigger Trainer took a step back, surprised. "That's a Deino! Hmm, you two sure got a lot of nerve to show up in Accumula with weird Pokémon like that! Especially that one," he finished, pointing at Riolu. The two Ace Trainers backed off and walked back to their corner. "Freaks," they muttered as they left. Riley and Ethan calmly made their way to the front counter and asked for Professor Juniper.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Oh, Ethan, Riley, there you are!" cried the Professor when they found their way back to the same room as earlier. She had been stressing out over them for the past hour, while the other four had reprimanded Bianca for her behaviour. "I've been so worried about you two! Is Riolu OK?" she asked Riley. He nodded. Ethan wasn't too surprised that she knew Riolu's name. Bianca stepped forward, looking reserved. "Um, Riley, I, er, just wanted to apologise for how I acted before," she said. "Professor Juniper explained the situation with Riolu to us before and now I get why you didn't want to show us your Pokémon. I was being stupid and I hope that this doesn't make things awkward for us, because I'd really like to make friends with you. You seem like a nice person and I didn't mean to hurt you. Or Riolu," she added. Riley smiled at her faintly. "It's OK, Bianca. I forgive you. And yes, I would like for us to be friends." He looked at the others. "I'd like for _all _of us to be friends." Bianca returned his smile. Cheren, Hilbert and Hilda all nodded. "We'd like that very much," answered Hilda.

"Well, now that that's all been dealt with, let's continue where we left off, shall we?" said Professor Juniper cheerfully. The six of them turned to face her. "Now, for those of you that haven't battled before, I'd like to give you a demonstration. However, I'll need someone to battle. In fact," she said, pausing for effect, "I would like to battle one of you!"

"One of us?" repeated Cheren. "But who?"

The Professor smiled. "Why, Cheren, I would like to battle _you_!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**


	8. Chapter 8: Student VS Mentor

Chapter 8: Student VS Mentor

"You want…to battle me?" Cheren looked confused. "I don't understand!"

The Professor smiled. "Well, I heard from Bianca that after her battle with Ethan, you were meant to have one with him, but she left, so you haven't batted yet, have you?" Cheren looked over at Bianca. She smiled. "I felt kinda bad for you," she said sheepishly. "You didn't get to have your first battle cause of me and I wanted to make it up to you. Especially after the way I've been acting," she finished solemnly. "I'm really sorry about how I've been treating all of you. Especially you, Ethan and Riley," she glanced in their direction. "I've just been really on edge lately, because… well, I wasn't actually allowed to go on a Pokémon journey at first." Ethan was surprised. He and Bianca had something in common, after all!

"What are you talking about?" Hilda asked. "I went to your house and your mother said it was OK."

Bianca sighed. "Yeah, but before that, my dad was really angry. He said he didn't want me to go, because I wasn't mature enough! And, I've gotta say, he kinda turned out right." Bianca was being uncharacteristically selfless. It was actually scaring Ethan a little. "The only reason I was allowed to come with you guys is because my mom convinced him that it would make me more mature. I still don't think he's really happy with me leaving.

"Then when I look at you guys, I see how mature _you _are and it makes me feel awful, like I don't belong here."

Professor Juniper stepped forward and patted Bianca on the back. "You _do _belong here, Bianca," she said in an assuring tone. "I picked you to be a part of my Pokémon Research Team and I have complete faith that you will do your job well." Bianca smiled tearfully. "Thank you," she said. Ethan was still in shock over the whole thing. He couldn't believe he was seeing Bianca like this; vulnerable, honest, a friend, even. Judging from the look on Cheren's face, he couldn't believe it either. She really had come a long way in the last 3 days. Then Ethan realised; it had been exactly a week since he had found Deino in the Abyssal Ruins. _Look how far _I've _come_, he thought to himself.

Professor Juniper clapped her hands together. "So, I guess it's time for our battle. Are you ready to go, Cheren?"

Cheren nodded, determinedly. "Yes. I'm ready!"

"Then let's head off then, shall we?" The Professor led them out of the Pokémon Center into the main street. "This way," she gestured. "I've got something to show you that will be very useful on your journey." She headed down the main street, stopping towards an intersection and heading left. They walked for almost 10 minutes, until finally she stopped. Professor Juniper pointed to the nearest building. It was lime green with glass windows.

"What is it?" asked Riley.

The Professor turned to face the team. "Welcome," she introduced grandly, "to the Accumula Town Battle Club!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Inside the Battle Club was a multitude of computers. Each computer was occupied by a Trainer, apparently searching for an opponent to challenge. Professor Juniper led the six to the front desk. A perky young woman sat behind a computer. "Welcome to the Battle Club! Would you like to register?"

"Yes, please," replied the Professor with a smile. "But firstly, could you please do me a favour? Could you tell Don George that Professor Juniper is here?"

"Oh!" gasped the secretary. "Oh, hello Professor Juniper! Sorry, I didn't recognise you there! No, don't worry, I'll call the Don." She picked up the phone on her desk and dialled a number. "Hello, Don George? There's someone here who would like to see you." She hung up and smiled at the Professor. "The Don will be with you shortly!"

Ethan was beginning to feel a little uneasy. What kind of a man would this Don be? In his mind, he imagined a cigar-smoking mafia boss with some henchman by his side. He looked at the others. Apparently, they had no idea what was happening either.

The Don turned out to be an older-looking man, dressed in a traditional martial arts outfit, with a red belt. His grey moustache covered most of his mouth, but Ethan could just see a hearty smile there.

"Professor Juniper! Welcome to the Battle Club!" he grunted.

"Ah, Don George!" smiled the Professor. "It's so nice to see you again!"

Don George pointed to the six teenagers. "New meat?"

"Why, yes!" replied the Professor. "In fact, I was hoping to schedule a battle with one of them, if that's alright."

"Should be fine," confirmed Don George. "What're their names?"

Each Trainer stepped forward and introduced their selves to the Don. Once introductions were exchanged, the Don led them forward. "Here, I'll show you how the Battle Club works. They're scattered all over Unova, so you'll come across them quite frequently." He led them to a free computer. "You enter your details into the computer," he explained. "Once you've registered at one Battle Club, you have access to every Club in Unova, without ever having to register again. Neat, eh?" He beckoned Hilbert forward. "How about you give it a go, son?"

Hilbert entered in his details. As he did so, he asked the Don questions. "How does the computer know my team at the time?"

"Good question," began the Don. "The Battle Club computers have a relation to the PC computers you find in Pokémon Centers. Once you store your Pokémon in the PC Box, your Battle Club account is automatically updated to include any and all new information. That way, opponents always know your team so there are no nasty surprises for them later on in the middle of a battle." After the others had registered their information, Don George began typing in passwords and codes. "Now, because Professor Juniper isn't an actual Trainer, she'll only use a temporary account. Cheren, log on to your account and search for the Professor's name. Once you find it, you can organise a battle between each other." Cheren did so. When he logged in, he found a detailed analysis on his current Pokémon team: name, gender, moveset and other details. When he confirmed a battle with Professor Juniper, a blue ticket slid out of the side of the computer. The Don held the ticket up. "This ticket shows how many battles are left before it is your turn." Sure enough, the ticket had a black "1" emblazoned on it. "Because Professor Juniper is a special case, I've reorganised the timetable so that your battle will start right after the current one has finished. This is just a one-off though; you won't get any special treatment in the other cities." Moments later, the intercom system pinged. There came a cool female voice. "Attention: The next battle between Cheren and Professor Juniper is ready to commence. Please proceed to the Battleground." Cheren smiled. "This is it: my first battle! Let's do this!" The seven of them followed Don George to the Battleground. As they approached the Trainer's entrance, Don George led the five spectators upstairs to the viewing gallery. Professor Juniper and Cheren each walked through their respective tunnels and emerged on the other side in the Battleground. It was a large battling field, made of dirt with white paint marking the borderline of the battling field and the Trainer's boxes on either end of the field. Ethan, Riley, Bianca and the twins came out on the second floor, looking down on the whole battle. It seemed that this battle was drawing quite a crowd; after all, Professor Juniper was famous throughout the Unova region. Trainers and spectators alike streamed in, filling the audience in no time.

"I hope this battle goes well for Cheren," said Bianca. "It's his first one and he needs a win!"

"Yes, but Professor Juniper is an expert on Pokémon," replied Hilbert. "Knowing Cheren, I doubt he'd want her to go easy on him."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Down on the Battleground, Cheren and Professor Juniper stared at each other from across the field. "Don't go easy on me just because I'm a beginner, Professor!" called Cheren. "Give me everything you've got!"

Professor Juniper smiled. "My, my, Cheren. I didn't realise you were looking to lose your first battle," she teased. Cheren grinned. "I don't plan on it!" he called back.

A Pokémon battle judge emerged from the middle tunnel of the Battleground with a red and green flag, denoting each side. Up on the wall of the room was a large video screen with the scoreboard. On it were Cheren and the Professor's faces along with their names, with a large 'VS' in the middle of the scoreboard. Each had two Poké Ball icons beside their face, denoting the unknown Pokémon about to be sent out. By this point, the crowd had begun to cheer and boo the opposing Trainers. The atmosphere was fever pitch. The official battle judge pulled out a coin. "Heads or tails?" he called to Cheren. "Tails," replied Cheren. The judge flipped the coin. "Tails, it is. The battle will be a two versus two. The last Trainer standing will win the battle. Challenger Cheren will go first. Trainers; choose your Pokémon"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Cheren smiled. "My first battle, with a screaming audience," he muttered to himself. "Just the way it should be!" He pulled out a Poké Ball. "Pidove, let's go!" Out came the cooing pigeon Pokémon. The crowd cheered. Up on the scoreboard, one of Cheren's Poké Ball icons was replaced by an image of Pidove.

"My turn," said Professor Juniper, smirking. Cheren's heart sank. The Professor could have any number of Pokémon at her disposal. He had no idea what two Pokémon she was going to pick. The Professor gracefully cast out her first Pokémon. "Go, Patrat!" Out of the Poké Ball burst a rodent-like Pokémon. Its tail was white and scruffy and its body was tan-coloured. It had big puffy cheeks and wild red and yellow eyes.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Up in the audience, Ethan pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the Professor's Pokémon. "Patrat, the Scout Pokémon. Patrat can store food in its cheek pouches for days. They use their tails to communicate with others."

"Cheren's Pidove is a Flying-Normal type," observed Hilda, "But the Professor's Patrat is a Normal type. This battle has no advantage!" It seemed she was right. She and Bianca both had their respective Pokédex out and were scanning Patrat. However, Hilbert wasn't; he was staring at the Patrat.

"Hilbert, what is it?" Riley asked.

"That's it," said Hilbert, his mouth hanging open. "That's the Pokémon I tried to catch on Route 's the Pokémon I want!"

As the five of them were discussing the Professor's Pokémon, the battle judge raised both flags. The audience became very tense; they knew what was about to happen. "Challenger Cheren's Pidove VS Professor Juniper's Patrat. Let the battle begin!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Cheren pointed forwards, directly at Patrat. "Alright, Pidove, let's get straight into it! Quick Attack!"

Pidove squawked harshly and zoomed across the field at breakneck speed. The Professor took a deep breath, then said calmly, "Patrat. Detect, please." Patrat's black pupils suddenly turned yellow and it jumped, high into the air, just as Pidove was about to hit it. The attack missed completely and Pidove swerved out of the way, narrowly missing the wall at the end of the field. Cheren was flabbergasted. "But… how? Quick Attack always hits first. It never misses!"

Professor Juniper gave Cheren a small smile. "I'm sorry, Cheren. But my Patrat knows Detect. When a Pokémon uses Detect successfully, they have a 100% chance of dodging its opponent's move. It's a more secure way of telling your Pokémon to dodge."

Cheren swore under his breath. He had seen a Patrat on Route 1; he thought he knew its moves. Apparently, he had forgotten about Detect. He smirked. "Not to worry, not to worry. Pidove, Leer!" Pidove's eyes grew red and it glared at Patrat. Patrat began to shiver with fear; there was no way it could defend itself against a Status move like Leer. Cheren could feel the moment coming; he wasn't about to pass up this opportunity. "Nice one, Pidove. Now, give it another Quick Attack!" Pidove soared down upon the Professor's Patrat. Patrat was frozen with fear; there was no avoiding it now.

It was a direct hit! The audience went wild, screaming, stamping their feet on the ground. A couple of audience members started up a chant of "_Cheren! Cheren! Cheren!_"

Patrat stumbled backwards as it recoiled from the unexpected attack. The Professor rushed over towards it. "Patrat! Patrat! Are you alright?" she cried. Patrat wobbled on the spot for a few moments, then shook its head and jumped back up. "Nice job!" the Professor whispered. "Alright, Cheren. My turn. Patrat, use Bide!" Patrat began to suck in air as it braced itself for Pidove's next attack. A circle of white light surrounded its body.

"Saving up energy, are we?" Cheren taunted. "Sorry, Professor, but your Patrat won't get the chance to use it. Pidove, use Leer again!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

As this was all happening, the five were cheering on Cheren when his attacks landed and felt sympathetic for the Professor when her Patrat got hit by that vicious Quick Attack. Then, as Patrat began to use Bide, Hilbert gasped. "Oh, no! Not Bide!"

"What's wrong with that move?" Bianca asked.

Hilbert explained. "When a Pokémon uses Bide, it becomes unable to battle for 2 turns. During that time, it sustains damage. Then, on the third turn, it fires back at the opposing Pokémon and it takes double the damage it dished out on the first two turns!"

"Sounds like a powerful move," commented Riley. "I only hope that Cheren is smart enough to find a way around it."

Hilbert shook his head. "There's only two ways around Bide: either Pidove can't inflict any damage on Patrat over these next two turns, or it must make Patrat faint before it counters back."

Bianca's knees began to shake in nervousness. "Come on, Cheren."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Pidove sent another Leer in Patrat's direction. The rodent Pokémon began to shiver again, but still maintained its circle of light. "Come on," muttered the Professor. "Hang in there, Patrat. It's almost time."

Cheren grinned. "This is it, Pidove!" he called. "Finish it off: Gust, now!"

Pidove squawked in understanding and began to flap its wings vigorously. I kicked up a large gust of wind that began to pick up on the Battleground. It grew bigger and stronger, until finally-

"Alright, Pidove, send it Patrat's way!" shouted Cheren. Pidove obliged and with one powerful push, sent the gust of wind spiralling towards Patrat. As Pidove's final attack grew closer, the Professor braced herself. "Come on, Patrat. Hang in there. Please. Please!"

The gust of wind hit. It was madness. The crowd were screaming loudly as the gust of wind engulfed Patrat, who shrieked in terror as it was picked up and thrown around by the wind, until finally, it was spat out and left to lie on the floor. The crowd was going crazy; Professor Juniper had been bested by a novice, a greenhorn!

The battle judge raised his green flag in the Professor's direction. "Patrat is unable to battle. Pidove is the winne-"

Suddenly, everything stopped. The entire room began to stare at Patrat. Was this really happening before their eyes? Patrat was… getting up! Slowly, but surely, Patrat steadied itself, the white circle of light around it growing larger as it absorbed Pidove's last attack.

"No!" gasped Cheren.

"Yes," breathed the Professor. "Patrat, Bide!"

Patrat sucked in all the energy it had sustained during its attack. Several moments passed in tense silence, then-

With a roar, Patrat released its mouth and unleashed a blinding white laser of light, aimed directly at Pidove! The beam of light hit home and Pidove squawked in fear as it was brought down by Patrat's mighty counter-attack. Its head hit the ground and it lay there, unconscious.

The battle judge raised his red flag in Cheren's direction. "Pidove is unable to battle. Patrat is the winner!" It was absolute anarchy. The audience were off their feet, shrieking their heads off, stunned and amazed at what had happened. Against all odds, Patrat had survived Pidove's brutal attack and come back with an amazing move of its own.

Cheren stared in shock, his mouth open. "No… no way," he breathed, unable to process what had just happened. He had won! He had just beaten the Professor's annoying little Patrat, and it had somehow come back and beaten his Pidove.

The Professor smiled serenely at Cheren. "You told me not to go easy on you," she winked mischievously.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Up in the audience, Ethan was in shock. What had just happened defied explanation. Such a tiny Pokémon like Patrat being able to sustain all that damage and come back with an equally strong, no, _doubly_ strong counter-attack like that! He turned to Riley, whose face was filled with wonder. "It seems," he commented vaguely, "that there is more to Professor Juniper than meets the eye." Ethan laughed. Bianca had her head buried in her hands. "Noooo," she moaned, "You nearly had her!"

"Relax, Bianca," replied Hilda, "Cheren's still got Snivy left. This battle is far from over!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Up on the scoreboard, the image of Cheren's Pidove was blacked out, signifying its inability to battle. The Professor now had Patrat, on the verge of fainting after that last attack, and one more Pokémon to reveal.

"Humph," growled Cheren. "I'll show you, you stupid little rodent. Snivy, let's go!" He cast out his final Pokémon. The audience 'oohed' and 'aaahed' at the rare Grass-type Pokémon.

"Let's start this off by evening the scales," called Cheren. "Snivy, Vine Whip that thing, now!"

Two vines appeared from under Snivy's collar and whipped forward, coming down upon Patrat's head. Professor Juniper did absolutely nothing to counter the attack; it had happened so fast.

"Patrat is unable to battle!" cried the battle judge. "Snivy is the winner!" And the audience were up again, cheering and chanting Cheren's name. Cheren smiled. He just couldn't get enough of it. It was a small victory, however, compared to the one the Professor had just enjoyed.

"Well done, Cheren," called the Professor. "However, I still have the element of surprise up my sleeve with my last Pokémon, don't I?"

"You certainly do!" Cheren called back. He was beginning to get tired of the Professor's mind games. It distracted him from the current battle. It was his first battle, after all. And he wasn't about to lose it in a hurry.

"You're my last hope, but I know you'll do just nicely," said the Professor. "Go, Minccino!"

Out of the final Poké Ball burst a furry gray chinchilla. Its tail was fluffy and looked like a feather duster. There was silence at the Professor's secret weapon being revealed. Then, the audience laughed.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

It was, without a doubt, the cutest Pokémon Ethan had ever seen.

"Aaaaaw!" cried Bianca. "Look at the little baby Pokémon! It's so cute!" The audience laughed at Professor Juniper's odd choice of Pokémon. They were expecting something big and formidable, not a cute little feather duster! Ethan and the others scanned the Pokémon with the Pokédex. "Minccino, the Chinchilla Pokémon. Minccino loves shiny things and will use its tail as a brush to clean any objects that are dirty."

"So," asked Bianca, "the Professor is sending out a feather duster against Cheren's Snivy?"

But Riley just smiled. "Let's just see what happens, shall we?"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Even Cheren stifled a chuckle. "I'm sorry, Professor, but _what _is _that_?"

"You can laugh, Cheren," smiled the Professor, "But I promised not to go easy on you."

Cheren pulled himself together and braced himself. The Professor had obviously chosen this Pokémon because she thought it could defeat his Snivy. Which meant that Minccino had some kind of secret move up its sleeve. "OK, Snivy! Let's finish this off quickly. Wrap, now!" Snivy hopped across the field and wrapped its tail around Minccino, immobilising it. Minccino began to wail.

The Professor merely smiled. "Oh, you should _not _have done that Cheren," she muttered and then called out, "It seems that you've fallen right into my trap! Minccino, Tickle!"

Minccino managed to prise its tail loose from Snivy's Wrap and began to tickle Snivy's nose and its belly. The effect was immediate. Snivy released Minccino and proceeded to roll around on the floor giggling and laughing. It seemed that the tables had turned.

"Alright, Minccino!" Professor Juniper called. "Give it a taste of its own medicine: Doubleslap, now!"

As Minccino continued tickling Snivy with its tail, it then began to strike heavy blows upon Snivy with its two paws, slapping again and again. By this point, the audience had ceased laughing and began to watch in wonder and amazement as the Professor had turned this whole battle around in one single move.

"That's enough, Minccino!" called Cheren. "Snivy, snap out of it and use Vine Whip!" Snivy finally managed to pull itself together and sent two more vines Minccino's way.

"Not so fast, Cheren!" cried the Professor. "Minccino, Encore!"

Minccino raised its hands; a white orb of light materialised between them. Suddenly, Minccino fired the orb at Snivy. The orb hit and Snivy's body began to sparkle white. The vines on Snivy's collar suddenly snapped in half and fell to the ground, useless.

"What?!" cried Cheren. "What was that?"

"Encore," explained the Professor, "For the next five turns, your Snivy can only perform the move it last used: Wrap. You know what that means, don't you Cheren?"

"No," whispered Cheren, "No! You don't mean-"

The Professor nodded. "Go ahead. Try it out."

Cheren shook his head, focusing. "Snivy, use Vine Whip!" Snivy began to send out two more vines from its collar, when they snapped mid-attack. Suddenly, Snivy rushed forward and wrapped its tail around Minccino once again.

"No!" cried Cheren. "Snivy!"

"Minccino!" called the Professor fiercely. "Tickle, then finish it off with a Doubleslap!" Minccino obeyed. Cheren could do nothing but watch as his Snivy rolled around on the floor laughing, and then crying out in pain as Minccino began to slap it with its two paws. Finally, Snivy couldn't take any more of Minccino's Doubleslap and lay there, unable to fight.

The battle judge raised his red flag in Cheren's direction once again. "Snivy is unable to battle. Minccino is the winner! Which means that Professor Juniper is the winner!"

And the crowd went wild. They began chanting the Professor's name, stomping up and down on the ground. Ethan and the others looked down in wonder at the Professor's clever strategy that had won her the battle, and then felt awful for Cheren's loss, especially at his first battle.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Cheren sniffed. He couldn't believe he had lost his first battle. For years, he had been preparing for his first battle against someone. He had all sorts of strategies and combinations planned out and yet none of them worked out in the end. He looked down as he recalled Snivy, hoping that no one would see his tears.

"Well done," came a voice. Cheren looked up; it was Professor Juniper. She was smiling, beaming even. "I doubt anyone could have lasted that long in a battle against me. You should be proud of what you did today, Cheren. I sure am." She turned on her heel and made to leave.

"Wait." Cheren called her back quietly.

"Yes?" she asked. "What is it?"

Cheren looked up at her with a tearful smile on his face. "Thank you… for battling me today."

"It was an absolute pleasure," she replied, and with a final smile, Professor Juniper turned around and departed the Battleground.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**


	9. Chapter 9: Twin Trouble

Chapter 9: Twin Trouble

"My first battle," breathed Cheren, "and it was with the Professor. Wow!" He had finally managed to get over the fact that he had lost. Ethan and the others had spent the whole afternoon trying to get Cheren to look on the positive side of the battle.

"You know," said Riley, who was the most dedicated to cheering him up, "for a first battle, you did really well!" The six of them had returned to the Pokémon Center after the battle and were lounging around in the main hall, waiting for Cheren's Pokémon to be healed.

"Hmm," said Cheren doubtfully, "I don't know about that. After all, I didn't win." And he was back to moping about his loss. Throwing his hands up in defeat, Riley stood up and headed over to the counter. "Excuse me," he asked the nearest nurse as he pointed to Cheren, "Are this boy's Pokémon healed yet?"

"Why, yes!" said the nurse brightly, spitting sunshine in Riley's direction. "Let me just get them for you." She headed over to the trays of Poké Balls and returned shortly after with Snivy and Pidove. "Here you are, good as new!"

Riley tipped his hat in acknowledgement. "Thank you," he said gratefully and brought the Poké Balls over to Cheren. "Here you go."

"Thanks," said Cheren, miserably. He looked down at his two Poké Balls and sighed. "Hey, Snivy, Pidove. I'm sorry you guys lost today. It was my fault. I wasn't prepared enough." He stared at the Poké Balls as if waiting for a reply.

"I hope this experience has made you learn something," said a calm voice. The six Trainers looked up as Professor Juniper strolled over; she had just walked into the Pokémon Center. "Hello, Cheren. How are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm fine," he mumbled respectfully. Sensing his disheartenment, the Professor addressed the others. "Like I said, I hope all six of you have learned from Cheren's battle today. There is much more to battling than just winning or losing."

Cheren looked up. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean, look at your Pokémon," replied Professor Juniper. "I don't know about you, but I doubt very much if they're disappointed by the result today. In fact," she continued, "I think they're very proud of how well they fought and that this experience has made them more determined to grow stronger and protect themselves as well as their Trainer."

"Wow," commented Hilda, "You're right! But, why do we want our Pokémon to grow stronger?"

"Because," answered the Professor, "They can do amazing things once they mature. Things that might be best if you see them for yourselves. But allow me to explain why I am really here." She looked at them all with a glint in her eye. "What do you know about the Pokémon League Championship?"

Cheren snapped up. "It's my lifelong dream!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"The Championship?" asked Bianca skeptically. "You're not really thinking about entering in the Unova Pokémon League Championship, are you?"

Cheren looked sheepish. "Well," he hesitated, "not at first. I mean, first I have to get more Pokémon and make them strong. But until then, I can collect _Badges_! If I go around Unova beating Gym Leaders and collecting Badges, my Pokémon are sure to get stronger and be able to enter the League! Maybe even win the Championship!"

Hilbert laughed. "You and your crazy ideas, Cheren. You've only had one battle, which you _lost_. Just take it one step at a time, okay?"

But Cheren was shaking his head. "No, this is it, I'm sure of it. I'm meant to do this, not just for me but for my Pokémon as well! I'm going to become the next Champion!"

"I'm sorry," interrupted Ethan, "But what exactlyis the Championship? I don't really understand."

Even Professor Juniper looked shocked. "You haven't heard about the Championship? You must have heard about it at some time or another, what with Cynthia being your cousin."

"Well, yeah," began Ethan, "But in Undella Town, I was never really told. All I know is that it's a title for the most powerful Trainer in the region."

"It's more than that," explained Cheren breathlessly. "It's the single most coveted title in the world! Any Trainer who wants to be remembered forever enters in the Unova Pokémon League Championship." There was a faint twinkle in his eye. "I've always dreamed of becoming the Champion, but I always told myself to be realistic. But, now that I have my own Pokémon, it feels like anything's possible." He finished and took a deep breath.

"Okaaay," said Ethan, a little concerned. Cheren was beginning to look a little insane. "But, how do you enter the Championship? Surely they wouldn't just let _anyone_ enter, would they?"

But Cheren seemed beyond the capabilities of speech, so the Professor took over. "It's more than just making the trip to the Pokémon League, Ethan," he explained. "In order to be eligible to compete in the League, a Trainer must collect the 8 Badges of the Unova League. Each Badge is held by a Gym Leader in cities scattered throughout Unova."

Ethan was beginning to understand. "So, if you beat the Gym Leader in a battle, you get the Badge, right?"

"Right," confirmed Professor Juniper, "but there's more to it. Once a Trainer has collected all 8 Badges, they need to pass through the next big obstacle; the Unova League Conference."

"The _what_?" Ethan asked. All these complicated names were beginning to confuse him.

The Professor continued. "To put it simply, it is the ultimate test. It is a sudden death tournament of 256 Trainers, each round eliminating half of the competitors. It's a brutal but fair system. Once a Trainer becomes the winner of the Unova League Conference, they have the chance to battle the Elite Four and the current Champion of Unova. Then, and only then, can a Trainer be officially given the title of the Champion."

"Wow," breathed Ethan. He couldn't imagine someone making it through all those battles. Then he remembered; _Cynthia did it_! Ethan suddenly had an even greater respect for Cynthia, now fully knowing the challenges she faced on her way to become the Champion of Sinnoh. "So, how do we start out?"

"I can help you register at the Pokémon Center here, where you'll receive your official Trainer Card and Badge Case," answered the Professor. "However, do not do so lightly. If you register, this is the most gigantic undertaking a Trainer could possibly tackle. Are you all certain that you want to be a part of it?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Cheren replied incredulously. "Of course I will!"

"It'll be a pleasure destroying you in battle, Cheren!" Bianca replied cheerfully. "Count me in, Professor!"

Hilbert and Hilda looked at each other. "Let's give it a shot, huh?" Hilbert asked. Hilda nodded in agreement.

Riley looked at Ethan. "What do you think, Ethan?" he asked. "Ready to start collecting Badges?"

Ethan smiled determinedly. "Let's do this."

"Very well," smiled the Professor, "I shall register all six of you and tomorrow morning, you will receive your Badge Cases. Take very good care of it, because you need to present it upon your arrival at the Pokémon League."

"Thank you, Professor," said Hilda. "But, where do you think we should go first? You know, so we can get our first Badge."

The Professor thought for a moment. "I would say… Striaton City, on the other side of Route 2 would be the best place for you to start. Not to mention the closest. From there on, it's your decision."

"OK, Striation City," repeated Cheren. "Thank you very much, Professor."

"My pleasure," she replied. She turned to leave. "I think I'll head back to Nuvema Town for a while. If you ever want to contact me, use your cross-transceivers. Perhaps we can organize somewhere to meet in a few weeks?" The six Trainers nodded. "Alright, then. Good luck, be careful, but most of all, have fun! I hope to see you all in one piece the next time we meet." With one last smile, the Professor walked on and left the Pokémon Center.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The next morning, there was a delivery for the six of them in the Pokémon Center. The deliveryman handed over six rectangular-shaped parcels, which turned out to be their empty Badge Cases and Trainer Cards. Each Badge Case had 8 empty slots, presumably for the 8 Gym Badges to be collected. Cheren was nearly jumping with excitement as he received his. "With this, I can finally pursue my dream of becoming the Champion!" He headed straight for the door. "I'll meet up with you in Striaton City, hopefully!" he called as he left.

"Hey, Cheren! Wait up!" Bianca called as she ran after him. "I'm coming too!" And she, too, was gone.

Ethan turned to the twins. "So what are you guys planning on doing? Travelling together?"

"Yeah, I guess so," said Hilbert. "Hopefully, I can try and catch a Patrat and Hilda will find a Pokémon she likes. See you guys later!" With a final wave, the two followed Cheren and Bianca out the door.

"So, ready to go?" Riley asked Ethan.

"Yeah," he replied. "It's a shame, though. I was just beginning to really like Accumula Town." He sighed. "I'm sure we'll find plenty of other nice cities along the way though. Let's go!" And they were off, walking down the main street for the last time. Ethan took in all the sights he could possibly she as he and Riley finally passed through a marble arch signifying the border of the town. They took one last look at Accumula Town and then turned and continued on to Route 2.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Unlike Route 1, Route 2 was virtually all forestland. It was nearly impossible to find anywhere that didn't have a tree. All amongst the branches, Ethan and Riley could hear the cries and squeaks of baby Pokémon. It was all so exciting to Ethan. The thought that some amazing creature might jump out of the bushes and challenge him to a battle was amazing. As they walked, the two boys talked and learned new things about each other. Riley was 13 years old and came from a place named Canalave City in the faraway Sinnoh region.

"It's in the middle of a harbor, so there're ships going out all the time," he explained to Ethan. It sounded so fascinating. Ethan wondered what it was like to live in a busy city. All he had known was the quiet whispering of the waves on Undella Bay. At that moment, he felt a pang of homesickness, thinking of his parents, whom he hadn't spoken a word to since he left Undella Town. He wondered if Cynthia had kept his travels a secret, or if she had told them already. He doubted it; otherwise they would have been on the next flight over to Nuvema Town and picked him up before he knew it. For all their faults, he did love them and miss them like any other teenager.

Determined to steer the thought from his mind, he turned to Riley. "What do you say we do a bit of training? After all, the Professor said we need to battle if we want our Pokémon to get stronger. And besides, it couldn't hurt to get ready for our first Gym Battle."

Riley shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, why not? Only, let's battle wild Pokémon rather than ourselves. I don't want Riolu to faint if we don't know how close the next Pokémon Center is."

Over the rest of the day, Ethan and Riley began challenging wild Pokémon to battles. At first, Riley was a lot better at it than Ethan. However, as the day went on, Ethan began to improve and use different combinations of attacks and commands to win the battle. By the time they decided to call it a day, the sun had begun to dip below the mountains. Deciding that this was as good a place to stop as any, the two set up camp in a large clump of trees, started a fire and served themselves (and their Pokémon) dinner. When the time came, Ethan rolled over into his sleeping bag and fell asleep, energized and excited for the next day.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The next day came and Ethan woke completely exhausted and having no motivation for the day. For starters, he was so excited last night that it took him forever to get to sleep. When he finally did get to sleep, he kept rolling over onto a thick root that stuck out from the ground. He tried moving to a more comfortable position, but to no avail.

"Good morning!" said Riley cheerfully, with a broad smile on his face. "I had a great sleep! What about you?" Ethan grumbled, "Fine," and began making breakfast. Riley laughed softly and helped. When it was time to go, the two packed up quickly and set off. Riley checked his Town Map as they walked. "According to the map, we're not far from Striation City, but there's a large plain between the edge of the forest and the city that we need to cut across. We need to keep an eye out for that if we want to make it there by tonight."

"Shouldn't be hard to spot," replied Ethan, "After all, it's just you, me and a whole lot of forest around here."

At that precise moment, someone fell out of the tree above Ethan and landed straight on his head. Dazed, he fell to the ground and reached instinctively for his Poké Ball.

"Woah! Watch it, Ethan! It's me, Hilbert!" he cried. As Ethan's eyes came back into focus, he saw that it was indeed Hilbert standing before him. "Sorry about that," he said sheepishly.

"How long have you been following us?" Riley asked.

Hilbert sighed. "Nothing gets by you, does it? Alright, I'll spill the beans. Hilda lost her Town Map and I never got one, so we're lost. Then we saw you yesterday afternoon battling your little hearts out and decided to follow from a distance. Give you some privacy, you know?"

"Speaking of which, where is Hilda?" asked Ethan. As if on cue, another body slid down from the branches above, only much more gracefully. However, that still didn't stop Hilda from giving Ethan a nice taste of her shoe as she landed. "Hey, Ethan! Hey, Riley! What's up?"

"What's up?!" growled Ethan as he shook his head trying to stop himself from being knocked out. "I'll tell you what's _up_. You and your brother clearly don't know how to fall from a tree without trying to kill someone!"

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry," replied Hilda dismissively. "Anyways, we got tired of following you guys and were wondering if you wanted to battle us!"

All frustration that Ethan had evaporated on the spot at the mention of the word. "A battle?" he asked.

"Yeah!" said Hilbert. "In fact, let's make this one a Double Battle! More fun that way."

"A Double Battle?" Ethan asked, confused. "What's that? A 2-on-2 kind of thing?"

"Exactly," answered Hilda. "What do you think?"

Riley shrugged. "Yeah, sure, I'm in."

"OK," said Ethan, "Let's battle!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The four Trainers decided to hold off on their battle until they found a more open space. They spent the best part of the morning hiking through thick forest until finally, the trees began to thin. Ethan had no doubt that they were approaching the large plain that signaled Striaton City. About half an hour later, the trees had all but disappeared behind them and they found themselves on the large grassy plain. In the far-off distance, Ethan spotted the tips of the buildings that were most likely part of Striaton City.

"This looks like a good spot," decided Hilbert. "Alright, let's do this! The battle will be a 2-on-2 battle and is over when one side's Pokémon are no longer able to battle. However, let's change things up a bit. You, Riley," he signaled to Riley, "will be battling with me. Hilda," he pointed to her, "You will be battling with Ethan. Sound good? Great. Let's go."

Riley and Hilda swapped places and the four spread out to leave enough space for the battling field.

"Alright, Tepig! Let's see what you can do!" Hilbert cried as he sent out his starter Pokémon. Tepig growled and snorted small jets of flame from its nose as it emerged from its Poké Ball.

"You're up, Riolu," said Riley calmly as he sent out his foreign Pokémon.

Now it was Ethan's turn. "OK, Rufflet. Let's go!" he cried as he sent out his new bird Pokémon. Rufflet flapped its wings and squawked menacingly as it attempted to psyche out its opponents. Lastly, Hilda sent out her Pokémon. "Oshawott, prepare for battle!" Out from the Poké Ball burst the little Water-type Pokémon.

"Tepig, Flame Charge! Set it off at Rufflet!" Hilbert cried. White hot flame surround Tepig as it charged straight at Rufflet.

"Rufflet, fly up and strike back with a Wing Attack!" Ethan called out in response. Rufflet nodded as it flapped its little wings and dodged Tepig's charge with relative ease. It then swooped down as it spread out its wings and struck Tepig with a direct hit.

"Alright, Rufflet!" Ethan cried out. "Good job!"

Hilbert snorted. "Hah. You think that did anything? Tepig is far too strong to be taken down from an attack like that."

"Oh yeah?" taunted Hilda. "Well, try this on for size. Oshawott, Water Gun at Tepig now!" Oshawott opened its mouth and sent forth a huge gush of water headed straight for Tepig. It was going to be a direct hit.

"Riolu," called out Riley suddenly, "Jump in front of Tepig and take the attack!" Riolu nodded and jumped in front of Tepig. The large gush of water hit Riolu square in the face and it fell backwards.

"Alright, Riolu, use Counter now!" Riley commanded. Even in the heat of battle, Ethan could see such a calmness about Riley that he admired. Suddenly, he didn't feel like admiring Riley very much as Riolu glowed orange and the power from Oshawott's Water Gun attack came bursting out and hit Oshawott directly. Oshawott stumbled and fell.

"Oshawott, no!" cried Hilda. "Are you alright?" Oshawott slowly got up and resumed its battle stance, determined as ever. "Good job. Now, use Tackle on Riolu!"

"Rufflet, use Wing Attack on Riolu and combine with Oshawott's attack!" Ethan said defiantly. The two allies looked at each other and then straight at Riolu, who had begun to shiver in fear as they both converged.

"Riolu, wait until they get in close and use Force Palm!" Riley countered. Riolu prepared to unleash an attack, but it was too late as both Rufflet and Oshawott delivered their attacks simultaneously. Riolu slid backwards across the ground and stopped at Riley's feet. It had fainted.

Riley sighed and smiled. "You did great, Riolu," he said consolingly as he recalled the Pokémon.

"Now it's my turn!" Hilbert called out. "Tepig, Tackle Oshawott now!"

"Oshawott, counter it with Water Gun!" Hilda cried.

"Rufflet," commanded Ethan, "Help it out with Fury Attack!"

The three Pokémon charged into the center of the battle field as all three attacks collided. Rufflet managed to fly upwards at the last second and managed to avoid Tepig's attack. Oshawott managed to deflect most of Tepig's attack with its scalchop. Tepig, however, was sent sprawling as Oshawott sent a blast of water in its face and Rufflet struck hard with its Fury Attack. Hilbert ran forwards to cradle the fainted Pokémon. "Tepig!" he cried, "Are you alright?" With a weary snort, Tepig nodded and closed its eyes again. Hilbert recalled his Pokémon and stood up. "I guess you guys won," he grumbled unhappily.

"We did it!" cried Hilda and she gave Ethan a clap on the back as she gave Oshawott a hug. "You were great, Oshawott!" she smiled as she recalled her Pokémon. "You and Rufflet did really well, too!" she looked at Ethan.

"Thanks," he replied, smiling as he recalled his bird Pokémon.

"Your Pokémon got hurt," said Riley to Hilbert, "You should hurry on to Striaton City to heal it up."

"Good idea," agreed Hilbert, "Let's go, Hilda. See you later, Ethan, Riley!" He gave them a wave goodbye as he hurtled off towards Striaton City in the distance.

"It was fun battling with you," Hilda said to Ethan and Riley, "I hope we get to do it again soon. See you whenever!" She smiled as she jogged after Hilbert.

Ethan looked at Riley. "Don't you want to hurry Riolu to Striaton City to get healed?"

"Yeah, but Riolu's tough. He'll be alright in the meantime," replied Riley. "Come on, let's get going. We should check in at the Pokémon Center before nightfall."

"Couldn't agree more," agreed Ethan. As nice as camping outdoors was, nothing beat a comfortable bed and a nice pillow. The two friends set off together, as they crossed the grassy plain, the sun setting low in the sky as the towering mass of Striaton City loomed before them, with the scent of a new adventure.


	10. Chapter 10: An Educated Battle

Chapter 10: An Educated Battle

_Big._

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

This was the first thing that crossed Ethan's mind when he entered Striaton City and was the only word he could think of to describe it. The skyscrapers were big and the houses were all densely packed together in long lines of streets. Having lived in Undella Town all his life, he had never been into the city before and all he could think of was the amazing opportunities and destinies that awaited here. He and Riley had arrived early last night and checked in to the Pokémon Center, healed their Pokémon and spent the night in one of the hire rooms. The next morning, he and Riley got up early to find their bearings. As he and Riley walked down the main street, Ethan spotted a large market selling all kinds of goods. The crowds inside were packed, so the boys decided to give it a miss. However, they stopped for lunch at a street side parlor and watched the world go by. It was such a vast change for Ethan and he didn't know how he felt about it. Hell, he didn't know _what _he was feeling at all, but it was… different.

"What do you reckon?" Riley asked.

"About…?" asked Ethan quizzically.

"The city! What do you think about it?"

"Oh!" gasped Ethan. "Well, I- I guess it… it's big." Ethan was never one for words. But Riley went with it anyway. "That it is," he replied. They finished the rest of their lunch in awkward silence, but not because of each other. Apart from Canalave City, Riley had never seen the hustle and bustle of the modern word and even then, Canalave was small compared to Striaton City.

"So," said Riley once they had finished their lunch, "Where are we off to now?"

"Well," began Ethan, "Should we look for the Pokémon Gym? Now's as good a time as any to put our training to the test."

"I agree," said Riley, "But I think we should explore for a little while first. A city this big, it would be a shame not to have a look around."

"Sure," agreed Ethan. After all, he was in no real hurry to challenge a Pokémon Gym. Truth be told, he was actually quite nervous about the thought of an official Gym Leader battling and critiquing his new friends.

As the two made to go, however, Ethan's cross-transceiver gave off a shrill beeping sound. Ethan checked the incoming call.

"Hey, Cheren," he answered, "What's up?"

"I'm right behind you," Cheren replied and hung up. Turning around, Ethan saw that it was indeed Cheren strolling up to meet them.

"Long time, no see," he greeted coolly. "You been to the Gym yet?"

"We were actually planning to go explore the city before we challenge the Gym," Riley explained.

"Well, if you ask me," advised Cheren, "I would suggest you swing by the Trainers' School sometime today. I dropped in on my way to the Gym, and I guess I must've learned a couple of things because _I've just won myself the Trio Badge!_" Pulling out his Badge Case, Ethan could see that Cheren had indeed collected the tri-colored badge. Cheren was ecstatic.

"Wow, congratulations!" Riley smiled. "What's the Gym Leader like?"

Cheren smiled thinly. "Well, I think I'll leave that secret for you to find out, shall I? I'll see you 'round." He began to walk off, then stopped and turned to face them again. "Do yourself a favor and take my advice, would you?"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Eventually, Ethan and Riley became tired of exploring the city and decided to take Cheren's advice. The Trainers' School wasn't too hard to find. Striaton City was handily equipped with a great deal of maps and signs pointing out any area of interest. Ethan and Riley entered the front administration building and found themselves looking at a hawk-eyed receptionist.

"Yeah?" she grunted as she tapped away on her computer.

"Uh," began Riley, "We were told to visit here if we were planning a Gym challenge, and we were wondering what exactly is it here that-"

The receptionist looked up from her computer with her beady eyes. "New in town?"

"Uh, yeah," answered Ethan honestly.

The receptionist pointed to a door off to the left. "Try through there. There's a bunch of kids practising, so they're having battles to begin raising their Pokémon."

"Brilliant!" Ethan whispered. "Thank you," he addressed the receptionist and led the way down the hall to the door marked '_PRACTICAL ROOM_'. Inside, there were dozens of teenagers, having battles on miniature battling fields.

"I guess this is where Cheren went for some intense training," commented Riley. He walked up to an official who was supervising one of the battles. "Excuse me. Where could my friend and I go to have a couple of battles?"

"Outsiders, huh?" remarked the official, as he sized them up. He gestured towards a less crowded battling field. "Try there. The more experienced trainers tend to gather there."

"Thank you," replied Riley and the two headed over to the advanced field. There were certainly less Trainers here. In fact, they seemed to hang around in groups, as if they were too cool to battle. One of the boys spied Ethan and Riley and strolled over. He was big, tough and looked ready to kill.

"Hold it right there!" he barked. "Where do you two regulars think you're going?"

"Oh, hello," said Riley cheerfully, "I'm Riley. This is Ethan and we were wondering if we could have some battles with a couple of trainers over here." Ethan had to give it to Riley; the way he was talking to this boy, he knew no fear.

The boy grinned savagely. "The name's Guy. I'm graduating from the Trainers' School at the end of the month and I'm about to go out on my own journey. I'm the best in the class, although it ain't hard to do when you're amongst this pathetic lot. If you're looking for a real challenge, you wanna battle me. If you wanna battle me, forget about it. I ain't wasting my time with an easy win like you." He stomped back to his group of friends, who had begun to eye off Ethan and Riley suspiciously. In fact, many of the other Trainers around the room had begun to stare.

"Riley," whispered Ethan, who had realized what was going on, "I think this kid is a bully. Look at these kids; they're terrified of him. We should leave now while we can."

"I know," hissed Riley back. "Don't worry, I'll handle this." He cleared his throat, so that everyone in the room could hear him. "Well, Guy, that's a shame that you don't want to battle me. I mean, I do have a rare Pokémon that could easily take down any of _your _Pokémon."

The room went silent; Ethan could have heard a pin drop. Guy swung round, glaring venomously at Riley. "What'd you say?"

"Oh, good. I got your attention. Now, could you please hurry up and accept my challenge. I'd like to thrash your Pokémon before the end of the year," Riley said coolly. Ethan's jaw dropped in shock. Was Riley insane? Why in the world was he deliberately trying to provoke this guy?

Guy stood up straight, cracking his knuckles as he did so. "You're gonna regret this big time, kid," he growled savagely. He clicked his fingers and pointed to a weedy-looking boy in the crowd of onlookers. "Oi, you! Go get me an official! I wanna show this kid who he's messing with."

The weedy-looking boy stood rooted to the ground, petrified with fear.

"NOW!" Guy bellowed, and the boy quickly found his feet and scrambled off to find an official. He quickly returned after with the same official who Riley had spoken to earlier.

"I understand we are to have a battle?" he asked.

"You're damn right we're gonna have a battle!" bellowed Guy. "I'm gonna destroy this kid's Pokémon, no matter how good or rare he thinks it is!" He jabbed a finger in Riley's chest. "I told you you'd regret this, kid. Now, you're gonna see why. Get in your spot and prepare to battle!" He stomped over to the other side of the field as Riley calmly headed over towards his designated spot. All the trainers in the room were now forming a circle around the field.

"Oh, good," Riley muttered to himself, "An audience."

"Riley," warned Ethan, "Are you crazy? This guy could tear you to piece if you're not careful! Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

Riley looked at Ethan seriously. "This kid is a bully, Ethan. It's up to me to prove to these kids that he's no more special than the rest of them. Just look at them! They're terrified to even look at this guy! There's no way we can let this slide!"

"Yes, but is provoking him and then humiliating him really the best way to do that? What if he loses and he goes crazy, tries to hit you or something? Or what if you lose?

"Ethan," replied Riley, "That is a chance that I am willing to take, especially when you think about what it would mean for these kids. Maybe we could even give them some sort of hope in this place, even with kids like him skulking around."

Ethan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright. I'll play along. But be careful, alright? Good luck."

"I don't need luck," said Riley, shaking his head, "I need skill."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Attention, spectators!" cried the official. "Today's match is between Trainer Guy and challenger Riley. The battle will be a one-on-one match and will be over when one side's Pokémon is unable to battle."

"Alright, Panpour, you're up!" Guy cried as he sent out his Pokémon. Out from the Ball came a monkey-like Pokémon that was blue and yellow. On its head was a tufty blue wave feature and its tail had a similar-looking tip. Curious, Ethan scanned the Pokémon with his Pokédex.

"_Panpour, the Spray Pokémon_._ Panpour stores nutrient-filled water in the tuft on its head. It does not thrive in a dry environment._"

The crowd _oohed _and _aahed _at Guy's Pokémon. With its battle stance, it certainly looked ready to fight.

Riley reached into his pocket. "Let's see how you measure up, Riolu. Let's go!" Riolu came bursting out of the Ball. The crowd gasped and stared at the foreign Pokémon. To be honest, Ethan was surprised at how much more comfortable Riley was with revealing Riolu to people. The incident at Accumula Town must have matured him somewhat.

"So," smirked Guy, "You've got yourself a weird Pokémon. I guess that makes sense. A freak Pokémon for a freak Trainer." He threw back his head and laughed heartily. The rest of the crowd was silent, too afraid to make a sound, lest Guy suddenly fire up and tear into one of them instead.

"You can laugh," replied Riley softly, "But I'm afraid that it would only make it more satisfying for me when I beat you." The smile vanished from Guy's face and was instantly replaced with a feral snarl.

"Riolu, Quick Attack," said Riley, and the battle began.

Riolu nodded and sprinted forward at lightning-fast speed.

"Panpour!" called Guy, "Push it back with Water Gun!"

Panpour opened its mouth and sent forth a gush of water straight at Riolu. But Riolu had learned from its battle with Oshawott the other day and dropped to the ground, dodging the stream of water as it whooshed just above its head.

"Alright, Riolu, now use Force Palm," commanded Riley.

Getting back up on its feet, the little Fighting-type Pokémon leapt into the air, palms glowing with shining purple light. As it came down upon Panpour it clapped its hands together, striking Panpour on the head from both sides. Panpour shrieked and hopped around madly as it was shocked by the attack.

Guy growled menacingly. "Oh, yeah? Panpour, Fury Swipes, now!"

"Counter it, Riolu!" cried Riley. Panpour rushed forward with its claws up, ready to strike. However, Riolu was ready to strike back with a Counter.

"Panpour, jump up and use Lick!" Guy countered. Suddenly, Panpour leapt into the air like Riolu did only moments before and extended its tongue to lick Riolu all over. The baby Pokémon could do nothing as it was unprepared for the change of attack. When Panpour was done, Riolu struggled to get up. It was paralyzed.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"No!" gasped Riley. "Riolu, are you alright?"

Riolu slowly managed to get up and nod in reply.

"OK. Now use Force Palm again."

Riolu began to make its way down the field to Panpour.

"Ha!" snorted Guy. "As if! Panpour, use that new move we've been working on. Use Protect!"

Panpour held its ground as a shining wall of light surrounded it. Riolu was about to charge straight into that barrier and cause damage to itself.

"Perfect!" cried Riley. "Riolu, use Feint!"

Riolu's fists suddenly glowed white. It continued to charge forward at full pelt, its fists absolutely shattering the barrier that Panpour created. The blow connected and Panpour sailed through the air as the attack hit. The students began to cheer in jubilation. Guy flashed them a dangerous look and they quieted down very quickly.

"Panpour!" he yelled. "Fight on! Get up and strike back!"

Slowly but surely, Panpour rose again and reassumed its battle stance.

"Alright, Panpour, use Water Gun, but keep your distance!"

Once more, Panpour opened its mouth to send a jet of water in Riolu's direction.

"Riolu!" called Riley. "Jump up and dodge it!"

Riolu nodded and began to jump, but suddenly writhed in pain and plummeted back down to face plant in the ground. The paralysis was beginning to affect the poor Pokémon. Riley could do nothing but watch in horror as Panpour's Water Gun attack hit home.

"Panpour! Give it a Fury Swipes it'll never forget!" cried Guy.

Panpour charged forward, never letting up on the offensive. Again, Riley could only stare as Panpour struck again and again at Riolu. From the sidelines, Ethan swore under his breath. Things were not looking good for Riley at all.

"Riolu, get up!" called Riley. "I know you still have some fight left in you, so let's push on and give him hell!"

"Huh," remarked Guy, "You're a fighter. I like that. It just means that it'll be even more satisfying to crush your spirit as well as your Pokémon. Panpour, give it another Fury Swipes!"

Panpour began to bring its claws down upon Riolu when Riolu's eyes glowed red with anger. Panpour froze. And suddenly, Ethan knew what was happening before it did.

With all its hurt and anger, Riolu unleashed a devastating Counter attack upon Panpour. The Water-type Pokémon was knocked to the ground as Riolu finally got up.

"Alright, Riolu, now use Force Palm once more!"

Riolu suddenly charged forward, with a new energy gleaming in its eyes.

"Panpour, get up!" Guy cried. For the first time, Ethan could actually detect a note of panic and fear in his voice.

Panpour slowly got to its feet, just as Riolu leapt into the air to deliver a Force Palm to Panpour's head.

"Now, Panpour, use Protect!" Guy said suddenly.

In the blink of an eye, Panpour conjured up yet again another barrier around it. However, this time, Riley was caught off-guard and was unable to do anything as Riolu smacked into the barrier and fell to the ground.

"No," whispered Riley. "Riolu! Get up and fight back! I know you can do it!"

"Riley!" called out Ethan. "You've got to stop this now! Riolu is going to get seriously hurt if you don't back down now!"

"No," replied Riley, standing resolute as he faced Ethan. "I know my Pokémon's limits and I'm not going to give up here."

"Look at him, Riley!" Ethan argued. "He's paralyzed and he's not getting up! You need to forfeit and take him to the Pokémon Center before it gets even worse! Let it go, please! "

Riley merely shook his head. "Things like this are worth fighting for, Ethan. And with something like this, I would risk my Pokémon's own wellbeing in order to keep on fighting." He turned around and continued to battle. "Riolu, Quick Attack."

Riolu slowly responded by raising itself off the ground. Ethan watched in horror and amazement as the baby Pokémon who had taken so many hits was still fighting.

"Do nothing, Panpour," replied Guy lazily, "This battle is over."

Suddenly, Riolu moved with wicked speed and struck Panpour across the face with its Quick Attack. It was the attack that no one saw coming. Ethan finally realized what was happening. Riolu had been feigning exhaustion the whole time, so as to let Panpour's guard down. Guy was still registering the attack with dumb shock.

"Alright, Riolu, now Force Palm it now!" Riley called.

Riolu nodded and summoned forth the purple energy in its hands again. Bringing it down upon Panpour's head, the Water-type Pokémon stumbled to the ground and writhed in pain.

"No!" roared Guy.

"Yes," whispered Riley. Panpour was paralyzed as well; the battle was now even.

"Panpour, Water Gun!" Guy shouted.

"Riolu, dodge and use Quick Attack!" Riley countered.

Riolu swerved to the right to avoid the jet of water sent from Panpour. It jumped back on course and struck Panpour directly.

"Force Palm, Riolu and finish this thing!" Riley cried.

"Panpour, Protect!" Guy bellowed in desperation. The white barrier appeared around Panpour once more. But this time, Riley was prepared.

"Ha! Have you forgotten?" Riley asked. "Riolu, use Feint instead."

Riolu's fists glowed white as it punched with all its might as the barrier completely shattered. The blow connected and Panpour was knocked senseless to the ground. The battle was well and truly over.

"Panpour is unable to battle," cried the official, "which means that the winner of the battle is Riley!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The crowd went wild. It seemed that they had never seen Guy suffer a loss before. Even Ethan had to cheer. He was still in shock over the whole thing. Riley had managed to turn the entire battle around and knew exactly what he was doing the whole time. He walked up to Riley. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry I underestimated you."

Riley shook his head. "Think nothing of it," he replied. "You couldn't possibly have known what I was planning to do. In fact, _I _should be the one apologizing for not telling you earlier."

Over on the other side of the field, Guy was looking furious. He recalled Panpour and turned to face the crowd. "Shut up!" he roared at them, but they weren't listening to him anymore. This humiliated Guy even further and he stomped across the field to meet Riley.

"You think you're clever, do you?" he said in a low voice. "You think you've done these people some kind of service? Well, guess what? You just made yourself a powerful enemy today, _Riley_," he spat out his name with venom. "I'm gonna travel the Unova region. I'm gonna collect a whole bunch of powerful Pokémon and the next time we meet, you'll regret the day you ever met me. See you round, freak." And with that, Guy stormed off towards the exit.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"You were amazing today, Riolu," said Riley as he bent down to pick up the little Pokémon. "I'm so proud of you. I'll take you to the Pokémon Center and you'll get a long rest. You've earned it." Riolu yipped happily as Riley pulled out his Poké Ball.

"Wait a minute!" called one of the boys who had been watching the match. He ran up to Riley and Ethan recognized him as the weedy-looking boy who Guy had bossed around earlier. "Can I see your Pokémon?"

"Sure!" Riley replied. "This is a Riolu. They're not found anywhere in the Unova region. I brought this one over with me from my hometown."

"Wow!" gasped the boy as he admired the baby Pokémon. "That is _so_ cool! I wish I had one!" He turned around to face his friends. "Hey guys! Come and have a look at this guy's Pokémon!"

Soon after, nearly all the Trainers in the room had wanted to catch a close look of the foreign Pokémon who had toppled the school bully.

Eventually, Ethan and Riley had to call it a day and they left the Trainers' School. The students said farewell and cheered once more as Ethan and Riley left the building.

"So," said Ethan once they were back out on the street, "That was an educated battle."

Riley laughed. "In what way?"

"Well," explained Ethan, "You did just battle one of the top students at the Trainers' School."

"Please," snorted Riley, "Give me one reason why I should believe that that moron was _educated_."

"Point taken," said Ethan diplomatically, and the two laughed.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**


	11. Chapter 11: The Gym Leader(s)

Chapter 11: The Gym Leader(s)

Two days after the incident at the Trainers' School, Ethan received a call on his cross-transceiver from Cheren. Apparently, he had been very busy while out on Route 3 and had just "evolved" his first Pokémon. Ethan had no idea what that was, but from what Cheren was saying, it sounded like one of his Pokémon had changed appearances. Ethan couldn't imagine what Deino or Rufflet would look like if they "evolved". When Cheren asked Ethan how he was doing, Ethan subtly evaded the question.

"Oh, yeah, I'm around," Ethan had replied casually, "Just about to leave Striaton City, actually."

The truth was that Ethan was nowhere near ready to leave. He had been making frequent visits to the Trainers' School for the past two days, but he was _still_ yet to challenge the Gym Leader. He would never admit it to Riley, but Ethan was very nervous at the thought of a Gym Battle.

"Who was that?" Riley had asked when Ethan hung up. Ethan relayed all of Cheren's information to Riley.

"So, Cheren's out on Route 3 evolving his Pokémon, and you're yet to make your first Gym challenge," Riley had said. "Ethan. Wake up to yourself. You've been dawdling for two days and you still haven't made the trip to the Gym yet! If you don't do it now, you never will."

"I know that!" Ethan had replied defensively. "It's just–"

But Riley had put up his hand to stop him. "Ethan, enough. You need to stop being so indecisive and do something. You can't keep going around waiting for someone to push you into something. You need to act!"

"Now, hang on a moment-" Ethan had retorted, but stopped. Thinking back on the last two weeks, it seemed that everything he had done was because he was forced into it. His parents were the ones who made him move to Nuvema Town, Cheren and Bianca had called him to battle them back on Route 1 and Hilbert and Hilda had done the same on Route 2. There was no denying it. "You're right," he admitted. "I'm sorry. I'm freaking out about the idea of a Gym Battle so soon. I mean, after all this training, what if I lose? All that time at the Trainers' School–"

"If you lose, then that's life," interrupted Riley firmly. "It doesn't matter how much training you've done, if you don't have the confidence or the determination, you'll never be able to win and earn your Pokémon's full trust!"

Ethan threw his hands up in defeat. "OK, fine. You win. I'll challenge the Gym."

"Good for you," said Riley, smirking slightly.

"Although," Ethan said thoughtfully, "Technically I'm only going because you told me to, so that kind of defeats your p-"

"Shut up."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

After following the maps through the maze of streets and buildings, Ethan and Riley finally came across the Pokémon Gym. Although, the only reason Ethan could tell it was the Gym was due to the large sign outside, because the building that stood before him looked nothing _like _a Pokémon Gym. He had been expecting some kind of large, imposing tower of sorts, with heavy dance music and a stadium. What he did see, however, was a small restaurant, no bigger than the buildings surrounding it.

"This is the Gym?" Ethan asked doubtfully, raising his eyebrows. He had serious misgivings about this restaurant. The place had a neon sign, for God's sake! And not even the nice type, the kind that was missing a couple of letters and looked like some kind of entrance for a sleazy motel.

Riley merely shrugged. "Looks can be deceiving," he replied. "C'mon. Let's go."

And so, Ethan and Riley stepped forwards and entered the Striaton City Pokémon Gym, although the neon sign with the missing letters that read " T I T TY PO O GYM" suggested otherwise.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Inside, it looked just like a regular family restaurant. There were even families having lunch, while being served by roller-skating waitresses. Utterly bewildered, Ethan stepped up to the front counter. "Excuse me?" he asked the young woman at the desk.

"Oh, hello!" replied the young woman brightly. "Do you have a reservation? What name are you under?"

"Oh!" Ethan laughed nervously, "No, no, no. I don't have a reservation. You see-"

The young woman frowned. "Well, as you can see, we're fully booked. If you don't have a reservation, I'm afraid we're not going to be able to serve you today. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause."

"Pardon me, ma'am," said Riley, stepping in, "But my friend and I didn't exactly come here for lunch."

Now it was the woman's turn to gasp in realization. "Oh!" she gasped. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't realize! Hang on a minute." The young woman moved further down the desk and stood at a podium with a microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen!" she cried, as the microphone squeaked and wailed from feedback. She frowned and proceeded to tap loudly on the mike with her finger. "May I have your attention?"

Considering the screeching noises made by the microphone, as well as the pained looks on the customers' faces as they blocked their ears to the noise, the young woman had their attention long ago. "Ladies and gentlemen," she repeated, "You are in for a treat this afternoon! We have just had a Trainer walk in who was requested the ''_3! Course! Speciaaaaaaaaaal!_'"

"Oh. My. God." Ethan muttered, as his jaw fell open. It was like she was announcing for the boxing or something! The young woman clearly enjoyed her job far too much. Far from looking shocked, the diners suddenly burst into applause and starting cheering and whooping.

The young woman continued her speech. It was quite clear that she had been given a script for this long ago, when she was first starting out and had high hopes in this world. Clearly, the world had not been kind to her, because she now knew these words off by heart and was experimenting by announcing Gym Battles as if they were some kind of cage-fighting match.

_Meh, _thought Ethan, _everybody needs a hobby._

Suddenly, the lights in the restaurant turned down. Three spotlights turned on and Ethan and Riley (who had been grinning in amusement this whole time) looked over to a small stage where a red curtain was lowered down.

"Ladies and gentlemen," cried the young woman for a third time, "You've read about them in the papers. You've heard about them from the TV. Now please welcome the one, the only: Cilan, Cilli and Cress!"

The curtain rose to reveal three men, all dressed like waiters. The only difference was their hair. One of them had straight green hair, like grass. Another had wavy blue hair, like the ocean. The last one had crazy red hair, like fire.

"That's right, everybody!" continued the young woman, "Please give a hand to our _three_ Gym Leaders of Striaton City!"

"_Three_?!" spluttered Ethan in complete shock, but his words were drowned out by the screaming crowd. Cilan, Cilli and Cress each took a bow and waved heartily to the audience.

"I think this is what Cheren meant by his secret," muttered Riley in Ethan's ear. Ethan nodded in agreement. "Hang on a second," he muttered. "How can _three _people be considered '_the one and only'_?!"

"Really?" Riley asked, raising his eyebrows. "Your first thought was to correct the announcer?"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The man with the green hair stepped forward and motioned for Ethan to come up on stage. Ethan looked desperately at Riley for assistance but before he knew it, the young woman was prodding him in the back and he was forced up on stage.

"Well, hello there, young man!" smiled the man with the green hair. "My name's Cilan. This guy here with the red hair is Cilli and the other one is Cress. We're the Striaton City Gym Leaders! What's your name?"

Ethan stared at him in blank shock. He was still trying to register the whole thing. The restaurant, the crazy announcer, not to mention the fact that there were _three Gym Leaders_! Why hadn't Cheren told him?

"Doesn't talk much, does he?" Cress asked Riley. From the audience, Riley shook his head.

Ethan gasped, finally realizing that Cilan had asked him his name. "M-My name is Ethan. Ethan Black."

"Well, Ethan," said Cilli, stepping forward, "Today is your lucky day!" His voice dropped to a whisper. "You _are _the Trainer who ordered the 3-Course Special, right?"

"Ah, yeah, I guess–"

"Then today is your lucky day!" Cilli cried again and the audience went wild. They couldn't get enough of these guys, it seemed. "We will gladly accept your challenge to a Striaton City Trio Badge." Without another word, he threw his hand around Ethan's shoulder and guided him behind backstage as the curtains began to lower. Riley quickly darted on stage and followed them before the curtain came to a close.

"There is no _way_ you can leave me with these people," Ethan hissed to Riley.

But Riley smirked. "I think they seem like a great bunch."

"Easy for you to say," Ethan retorted, "You're not the one who has to battle these nutcases."

The three Gym Leaders stopped and turned to face Ethan and Riley. "So," began Cilan, "Here are the rules for the Striaton City Gym."

"The battle will be between you and us," continued Cilli.

"We will each send out one Pokémon against yours," said Cress.

"If you manage to win a battle, you get one point," interrupted Cilan.

"At the end of the three battles–"

"The team–"

"That wins–"

"The best out of three–"

"Wins!" Riley concluded.

"Riley!" Ethan begged. "Not you too, please!"

But Cilan looked impressed. "You managed to finish our sentence," he said to Riley, "How would you like to be our fourth member?"

"No!" Ethan cried; this was getting ridiculous. "Three Gym Leaders is enough! I don't need four! Speaking of Gym Leaders, can I _please _just have my battle and go?"

Cilli sighed. "Alright. I guess we'll skip the formalities. We'll reconvene on the stage in five minutes. Be ready with your Pokémon and the battle will begin."

Without another word, the three Gym Leaders turned and stepped into the darkness.

"You ready?" Riley asked Ethan.

Ethan stared at him blankly. "In what world would I be _ready _after that ordeal?"

"Great," replied Riley brightly, "I think you're ready!"

Ethan narrowed his eyes. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Well, I'd be lying if I said I _wasn't_."

Ethan groaned. All these sudden changes in conversation were driving him insane. He looked back at the stage where he had come from. _I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be_, he thought. Sighing, Ethan steeled himself and stepped out on stage.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The crazy announcer cried for the fourth time. "Please give a warm welcome to challenger Ethan!"

The crowd gave Ethan a polite clap. There were even a couple of wolf-whistles thrown in.

"And now," said the announcer, as she attempted to give off an air of suspense, "Please welcome the amazing, the talented, the dashing, the talented, Cilan, Cilli and Cress!"

"You said talented twice– oh, never mind," said Ethan to no one in particular as the crowd went wild for the emerging Gym Leaders.

Once the applause had died down, Ethan spoke up.

"So, how are we going to battle on this stage? I mean, it's quite small isn't it?"

"Is it?" Cilan asked as he pulled out a remote and pressed the button.

Suddenly, there was a huge humming sound as the stage roof above the opened outwards to reveal the blue sky above. Then, the stage began to vibrate as it expanded and the walls of the restaurant sank into the ground. Suddenly, it was as if the restaurant was completely outdoors. There were no more walls; the battling field was now the size of a swimming pool.

"OK, I'll give you that one," smirked Ethan, "That was _so cool!_"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Ladies and gentlemen!" A fifth time. "Each battle will be over when one side's Pokémon are no longer able to battle. The Gym Leaders will send one Pokémon each against the Pokémon of the Trainer's choice. The side that wins at least two out of the three battles is the overall winner. Only the challenger may substitute Pokémon at any time during the battle."

The crowd hushed. Now came the suspense of the beginning of the battle.

"Trainers," cried the announcer, "Let the battle begin!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Cilan stepped forward. "I'm up first. Pansage, let's go!"

Flinging his Poké Ball into the air, out came a Pokémon that looked identical to the one owned by the Trainer Guy at the Trainers' School, Panpour. However, instead of blue, it was green and the top of its head was a broccoli-looking sprout. Curious, Ethan pulled out his Pokédex.

"_Pansage, the Grass Monkey Pokémon_," said Dexter. "_Pansage offers leaves on its head to Pokémon that have low energy. The leaves relieve stress._"

_Pansage_, Ethan thought. _It looks like it's a Grass-type. Which means that–_

"Rufflet! You'll do just nicely! You're up!" Ethan cried as he sent out the Flying-type Pokémon.

The crowd went crazy at the reveal of the two Pokémon.

"Alright, Rufflet, strike hard and fast with Wing Attack!"

"Pansage!" Cilan commanded, "Use Vine Whip!"

Rufflet swooped down on Pansage, but not before Pansage pulled out a long vine and whipped it around Rufflet's little neck. The bird Pokémon was now stuck in a chokehold by Pansage's vine.

"Alright, Pansage. Now reel it in and use Fury Swipes!"

Pansage obeyed and began to pull Rufflet in, eyeing it off. Rufflet began to squawk in fear, knowing what was about to happen.

"Rufflet!" Ethan cried, "Stare it down with Scary Face!"

Rufflet suddenly looked at Pansage with cold eyes. Pansage began to shake in fear at Rufflet and lost its grip of the vine. Sensing the release, Rufflet flew up and soared back down to complete its Wing Attack and struck Pansage directly. Pansage stumbled backwards; it had fainted.

"Pansage is unable to battle," called the announcer, "Rufflet is the winner!"

_One down, two to go_, thought Ethan.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The crowd cheered wildly for Ethan, but also gave a polite applause to Cilan and his Pansage.

"You did great, Pansage," he smiled sadly, "I just wasn't good enough as a Trainer. I'm sorry." He recalled his Pokémon and looked at Ethan. "Congratulations. You beat me, but now it's time for the real challenge. Can you win against my older brother, Cress?"

Cress stepped forward. "Let's see how you fare against me and my Pokémon. Panpour, prepare to battle!"

Ethan did not have to pull out his Pokédex this time. He recognized the Water-type Pokémon instantly from Riley's battle with Guy the other day.

"Rufflet," he said, "Peck, now!"

Rufflet nodded and charged directly at Panpour.

Cress merely sighed. "So predictable. Panpour, Water Gun."

Panpour nodded and shot a gush of water straight at Rufflet.

"Rufflet, dodge it!" Ethan cried. But it was too late and Rufflet received a jet of water to the face. It flew around blinded as the ground rushed up to meet it.

"Panpour, Fury Swipes. Now."

Panpour leaped forward and sank its claws into Rufflet. Rufflet squawked in pain, but could do nothing as it was still blinded by the Water Gun attack. Ethan could nothing but watch in dismay as Rufflet fainted.

"Rufflet is unable to battle, which means that the winner is Panpour!" cried the announcer.

The audience were on their feet, going crazy with noise and jubilation.

"Good job, Rufflet. Return," said Ethan consolingly as he recalled his Pokémon. He pulled out his final Poké Ball. _You're up_.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Cress stepped down from the battling field. "You battled admirably, but I'm afraid it wasn't enough. If you want that Trio Badge, you'll have to defeat our youngest brother in battle."

Cilli stepped forward. "I'm ready to go!" he cried. He had so much energy. Ethan was bewildered. Gone was the brothers' crazy humor and weirdness. Now they were all business.

As if he read his mind, Riley stepped up and whispered to Ethan, "These guys are Gym Leaders, Ethan. Don't be fooled by their exterior."

Then, Ethan realized. He understood it all. The restaurant, the crazy announcer, the weird entrance; it was all a façade to throw him off-guard. And he had completely fallen for their exterior, never realizing what they were planning all along until it was too late.

_Not too late_, he reminded himself. _You've got one last shot at this_. _Don't screw it up._

"Pansear! Come on out!" Cilli cried as he sent out the final Pokémon of the trio. Ethan pulled out his Pokédex once more and scanned the red Pokémon.

"_Pansear,_ _the High Temperature Pokémon. Pansear lives in caves near volcanoes. The temperature on the tuft on its head can reach 600 degrees when it's angry.__"_

The only difference between Pansear and the other two monkeys was its red body and swirly tuft of hair. Ethan then realized that the Gym Leaders must have modeled their hair color and style after the type of Pokémon they were battling with.

"OK, Deino, let's win that Badge!" Ethan called triumphantly as he sent out his prized Pokémon. Deino burst out snarling and snapping its jaws. It certainly looked quite menacing. The audience had begun to gasp at Ethan's rare Pokémon. Even Cilli raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"A Deino!" he said softly. "An odd Pokémon for such a new Trainer."

"He's not just any Deino," smiled Ethan, "He's my ultimate partner!"

"Alright, we'll play along. Pansear, Incinerate!"

Pansear began to suck in air until it was full. Then all of a sudden, it exhaled and large flames erupted for its mouth and headed straight for Deino.

"Deino, jump up, and then strike back with Bite!" Ethan cried, calling on the new move that Deino had learned while battling at the Trainers' School. Deino nodded and leapt into the air just before Pansear's Incinerate attack could hit it. As soon as it landed, it charged full-pelt for Pansear. Before Cilli could even issue a command, Deino had struck, biting Pansear with ferocity. Pansear squealed and hopped around madly.

"Good job, Deino," called Ethan, "Now, Dragon Rage!"

Like Pansear earlier, Deino began to suck in air. When it exhaled, it sent forth a shockwave with purple flames that struck Pansear.

"Pansear, no!" Cilli cried. "Are you alright?"

"Nice one, Deino! You're doing great!" Ethan cried enthusiastically.

"Not so fast!" Cilli countered, determination filing his voice again. Looking over in shock, Ethan saw that Pansear was back on its feet and ready to fight. "Pansear, Yawn!"

_Yawn? _Ethan wondered.

But Riley gasped. "Ethan, quickly! Get Deino out of the way now!"

"What?!" Ethan exclaimed. "Deino, jump up! Quick!"

Deino made to leap up into the air, but Pansear had already let forth a great yawn that Deino felt. Suddenly, Deino began to sway as it became drowsy.

"Oh no!" Ethan cried. "What was that?"

"That was Yawn," explained Cilli. "In a couple of moments, your Deino will fall asleep, leaving it wide open to attack." He smirked in triumph.

"No you don't," muttered Ethan. "Deino! Use Focus Energy!"

Managing to fight through the drowsiness, Deino held its ground and began to store energy for its next attack.

"Pansear! Use Yawn again! Make it fall asleep before it uses another attack!" Cilli cried in desperation.

Sensing the urgency, Pansear yawned again at Deino. However, Deino was prepared and was too busy focusing and completely ignored the attack. However, it did begin to droop as it felt the sleep kicking in.

"Deino!" Ethan commanded. "Unleash your full power with Dragon Rage!"

Fighting through the drowsiness once more, Deino roared and let loose another shockwave of purple flames headed straight for Pansear.

But Cilli was ready. "Pansear, somersault sideways and dodge it, now!"

Pansear obeyed and began to roll just as the shockwave reached it. However, Pansear was just too fast and managed to dodge the attack completely.

"What?!" Ethan exclaimed. "No!"

As if on cue, Deino's legs gave way and the Dragon-type Pokémon slumped to the ground, snoring deeply; it was asleep.

"No, Deino! Get up! Wake up!" Ethan cried, desperate. How had this happened? One minute ago, he was on the verge of victory, about to secure himself his first Badge; then all of a sudden, he was backed into a corner and about to lose!

"Pansear," Cilli said calmly, for he now had his full confidence back, "Finish this off with Fury Swipes."

Pansear nodded and lunged forward as it moved to strike the final blow on Deino.

"Deino! Get up! Please, wake up!" Ethan was still begging.

Pansear was closing the gap between itself and Deino. Ethan knew that Deino would pull through, that some miracle would occur and that his Pokémon would suddenly leap up and turn the tide in one short move.

The moment never came. Ethan watched in heart-stopping shock as Pansear's final attack hit home and Deino was knocked off the ground and landed at Ethan's feet, utterly defeated.

"Deino is unable to battle!" The announcer called. "Pansear is the winner. Which means that the victory goes to Leaders Cilan, Cilli and Cress!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The audience went wild with applause as they cheered and whooped, stamping their feet in triumph. Ethan merely stared in shock, completely numb.

_I…I lost_, he thought to himself. Until now, he had never lost a battle. He had felt almost indestructible. Suddenly, his perfect bubble had been burst in the flames of Pansear's fiery attacks. How could this have happened? He was using strategies and tactics. Everything he had learnt at the Trainers' School, he had put into practice here. Still reeling from his loss, Ethan recalled Deino and called Riley over.

"I'm sorry, Ethan," he said. "You were brilliant. They were just better."

The words cut into Ethan. They were completely true, but that still didn't make them hurt any less. His disappointment must have been visible, because Cilan stayed back to see Ethan as Cilli and Cress retreated backstage.

"Great effort today, Ethan," Cilan said consolingly, "I'm sorry it didn't turn out well for you."

"Uh, thanks, Cilan," mumbled Ethan.

"It's just a shame," continued Cilan, "There've been so few Trainers lately who have managed to win against us. I just wonder if they've been training at the Dreamyard."

Ethan broke out of his stupor and looked up at Cilan. "Sorry?" He asked.

"Oh, it's nothing," said Cilan dismissively, but his wink suggested otherwise. "I was just saying that the Dreamyard is a place for people who have trouble beating the Striaton City Gym. In fact, I don't think we've ever beaten Trainers who have trained there." It became clear to Ethan that Cilan was speaking his thoughts out loud, because he was trying to _help_ him.

"Why are you doing this?" Ethan asked, perplexed.

"Doing what?" Cilan asked innocently, then winked once more and followed his brothers backstage.

"I don't know about you," muttered Riley as they watched Cilan disappear behind the curtain, "But I have a feeling that _someone_ has taken a liking to you."

Ethan nodded vaguely in agreement. Suddenly, the impact of his first loss seemed so much lighter now. Armed with Cilan's advice, he was determined to seek out this Dreamyard and return to the Striaton Gym for a rematch. A rematch that would yield an entirely different result!

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

…Hopefully…


	12. Chapter 12: A Score to Settle

Chapter 12: A Score to Settle

The smiling nurse handed Ethan his 2 Poké Balls. "Here, you go! Good as new," she smiled.

"Thanks," replied Ethan, pocketing them. His first taste of defeat had been a bitter pill to swallow, but he was beginning to feel better about it now, especially now that Cilan had given him some very helpful advice indeed.

Riley was scanning Ethan's Town Map as Ethan sat down next to him. "Hmm," he said, "It looks like the Dreamyard is some kind of old factory. At least, that's what it _looks_ like."

"How long do you reckon it'll take us to get there?" Ethan asked.

"Oh, about half a day," replied Riley as he began folding up the Town Map. "We'll need to camp out overnight somewhere on the way back though. It's deep in the forest outside Striaton City." He handed Ethan's Town Map back to him.

"Deep in the forest, huh?" Ethan asked. "That must mean new Pokémon!"

Riley shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe. We'll just have to wait and see."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The next morning, Ethan and Riley set out from the Pokémon Center and headed out on to the main street. It was the weekend, so the crowds were quite dense. They managed to get through and found a side street that took them to the eastern exit of the city. As they left, Ethan spotted a group of Trainers idly waiting around.

"-haven't seen him since yesterday."

"Well, where is he, then? We agreed to leave at 9 and it's already 9:30!"

"Just calm down, he'll be here soon."

"I can't believe I thought I could trust him to be on time. Today's our training day, for God's sake! How am I supposed to train Purrloin if we're stuck here all day?"

"What, do you think you're the only one with a Pokémon? My Patrat hasn't battled in days! "

Curious, Ethan slowed down to hear more of the argument, but Riley tugged at his sleeve. "C'mon. It's rude of us to listen in."

Ethan sighed inwardly. "Sure. Let's go." Reluctantly, he resumed a normal pace and walked on.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

It wasn't long after that Ethan and Riley began to grow lonely and sent out their Pokémon for company. Rufflet loved being able to fly amongst the gradually-thickening trees as they walked deeper into the forest. Deino still hadn't kicked its habit of needing to constantly bite.

"Deino, why do you keep biting?" Ethan asked; he was beginning to grow a headache from the constant chomping sound.

Riley looked surprised. "Ethan, have you already forgotten? Deino is blind!"

"Oh, yeah!" Ethan gasped, with a sad realization that Deino was almost never going to be able to stop chewing. _Even sadder is the fact that he wouldn't recognize me even if he _could_ see_, he thought to himself. It was pure chance that the first Pokémon Ethan received would never be able to see him.

Lost in his thoughts, he forgot where he was going. Looking up, he cried out and ducked as he almost walked straight into a thick tree.

Riley laughed. "A close call there, buddy."

Ethan stood up. "I can't believe I didn't see that tree. They're really thickening together, aren't they?"

"Still," shrugged Riley, "There's a few open fields scattered around the place. Maybe they were man-made so that Trainers could have battles in an open space for larger Pokémon."

"At least I didn't walk into that tree," Ethan continued, "After what happened with the twins on Route 2, I'm determined to go at least one day without someone falling on top of me-"

_CRASH!_

Out of nowhere came a girl as she bowled Ethan over completely. Sprawled in the ground, it took him a few moments to register the figure standing in front of him.

"Bianca!" he cried. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Bianca wailed. "I was just in such a rush to get back that I completely lost my feet. Plus, I'm trying to catch up to Cheren and -"

"Woah, woah, woah, slow down!" Ethan interrupted, waving his hands frantically. "Get back _where_? What about Cheren?"

Bianca sighed. "Well, if you must know, Cheren and I are competing to win the Pokémon League. I mean, what kind of rival would I be if I was lagging along back here, on the verge of receiving my first badge, while he's out evolving his Pokémon and well on his way to Badge number 2?"

"Cheren's about to get his second badge?" Riley asked. "He certainly has been busy."

"But!" Bianca huffed. "I'm only just behind him! In fact, I've been doing some extreme training at the Dreamyard, not only so that I can absolutely crush the Gym here, but I can have a great head start for my next badge. After the training I just did, my Pokémon must be just as strong as Cheren's!"

Ethan raised his eyebrows. "Wow, Bianca, I'm impressed! I didn't know you had it in you!"

Bianca glowed with pride. "Well, when you've been through a rigorous training session like mine, you gain some confidence when it comes to battling. I felt really bad about losing to you, Ethan. Not just for myself, but for my Pokémon. So I'm determined to become better than Cheren!"

There was something different about Bianca. She was so much more mature from the girl he had met nearly two weeks ago. It seemed she was very passionate about being a Pokémon Trainer.

"So, what kind of training have you been doing at the Dreamyard?" Riley asked.

Bianca smirked. "Sorry, not telling," she giggled, "It's my own little secret. But if you were to battle me, I _guess_ I could show you. How about it, Riley? You wanna have a battle?"

"Ahahaha," laughed Riley nervously, "Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass this time round. I'm actually accompanying Ethan because he wants to do some training at the Dreamyard."

"Alright, then. Ethan, how about you? You wanna battle?"

"What? Oh, uh-" Ethan began. The truth was that he was still a little shaky confidence-wise when it came to battling. His loss at the Gym seemed to have instilled a fear of battling in him. "Thanks, but no thanks."

"What?! Aww, man," Bianca pouted, "And I was getting all excited about showing off my team and everything…"

"Hey! Did you just say 'battle'?" From amongst the trees emerged the group of Trainers who Ethan and Riley had passed back at Striaton City. They had caught up with them and were now joined by a short, blond-haired boy. Ethan recognized the tall brown-haired boy with dreadlocks as the one who was arguing with the others earlier; he was the one who had just spoken.

"A battle?" he repeated, then turned to face his friends. "Hey, guys! Over here! They're gonna have a battle!" He was met with cries of 'A battle?' and 'Wow, awesome!'

"That's right!" Bianca cried. "Ethan Black, for the humiliation I suffered after our first battle, I officially challenge you to a rematch!"

"Wo-ah!" cried one of the girls in the group. "A grudge match! Excellent!"

"OK!" said the boy with the dreadlocks, "Let's head over here. There's an open field over here that's perfect for battles. My friends and I practice there all the time! Come on, I'll show you!" Without waiting for a reply, he began to run off in the direction of this field. The rest of the group followed suit, dragging Ethan, Riley and Bianca along by the hand. They emerged into a small open area that was slightly larger than a regular battling field.

"Alright, here we are!" Dreadlocks announced. "Are you guys ready to battle?"

"We sure are!" Bianca cried.

"No," answered Ethan, but his voice was drowned out by the cheers of the gang. This was insane! He was being dragged into a battle he didn't want to have. How in the world was he going to win, after he'd just suffered his first loss and Bianca was coming off the back of some extreme training? Riley took his place on the sidelines with the gang and watched the scene with interest.

"OK, here we go!" Dreadlocks called. "So, how many Pokémon do you guys have?"

"I've got myself two awesome partners!" Bianca replied enthusiastically.

"And you?" Dreadlocks asked Ethan. "How many Pokémon do _you_ have?"

"I… I actually, um…" Ethan began. "Oh, what the hell? Two! I have two Pokémon!" he called out. He was thinking about what Riley had said yesterday about him being indecisive. Now was the time to begin making decisions, otherwise he'd never win that Badge!

"Sure thing!" Dreadlocks smirked. "Alright, the battle will be a two-on-two Pokémon battle. The battle will be over when one side's Pokémon are unable to battle. Ready?"

"Yep!" Bianca replied confidently.

"Set?"

"Let's do this," nodded Ethan.

"Alright, then. Strap on your seatbelts, audience, 'cause it's gonna be one hell of a ride! Let the battle begin!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Ethan stared down Bianca from either end of the field.

"I messed up in our last battle," called Bianca, "But I've learned more since then. I hope, for your sake, that you have too." She tossed her Poké Ball into the air. "Alright, Lillipup, show 'em what you've got!" Out from the Ball burst the yipping puppy Pokémon, barking menacingly at Ethan.

"Lillipup, huh?" Ethan muttered to himself. It was best not to reveal his trump card too early, especially with the new attack up its sleeve. "OK, Rufflet, prepare to battle!" He cast out his Flying-type Pokémon.

"_Verrrry_ nice," remarked Dreadlocks coolly, "You've got yourself quite a special Pokémon there."

"You don't know the half of it," Ethan muttered to himself. "OK, Rufflet, Fury Attack, go!"

Rufflet shot off through the air and swooped down on Lillipup.

"Not so fast!" Bianca countered. "Lillipup, Work Up!"

Lillipup suddenly began to run around frantically as it barked and yipped. It was becoming hyperactive and Rufflet narrowly missed its target.

"Damn," muttered Ethan. "Alright, Rufflet! Try using Scary Face this time!"

Rufflet began to glare menacingly at Lillipup, who suddenly stopped running around and froze in fear, terrified.

"Don't give in, Lillipup!" Bianca cried. "Stare it down with Leer!"

Lillipup nodded and stared resolutely at Rufflet. The battle had suddenly become a contest to see which Pokémon could psych out the other.

"OK, Rufflet!" Ethan called. "Now, use Wing Attack while it's distracted!"

In the blink of an eye, Rufflet had gone from glaring motionlessly at Lillipup to soaring through the air, wings outstretched.

"Lillipup, watch -!"

SMACK! Rufflet's blow connected and Lillipup was sent sprawling in the grass.

"Good work, Rufflet! Now, don't let up on the offensive! Use Peck!"

Rufflet swooped down on Lillipup a second time, beak-first. It moved with such speed that Bianca couldn't issue a command before Rufflet had struck again. Lillipup howled as it grew tired and began to sway.

"Hang in there, Lillipup!" Bianca cried. "Use Work Up once more to get your energy up again!"

Lillipup nodded wearily and began to run around again, panting and yipping. Ethan couldn't believe it; Lillipup's energy was all but restored.

"Ethan!" Riley called out. "Be careful! Work Up raises Lillipup's Attack, so it'll be even more powerful now!"

"Got it!" Ethan replied. "OK, Rufflet, use Fury Attack, but be careful!"

Rufflet nodded and its eyes grew red as it dived through the air, flying head-on for Lillipup.

"Ha!" Bianca cried triumphantly. "Right into my trap! Lillipup, use Bite!"

Lillipup began sprinting towards Rufflet. The two Pokémon were on a collision course for each other. "Wait for it, Rufflet," Ethan muttered.

The two Pokémon grew even closer, closing the gap between them. They were mere feet away when-

"Now!" Ethan cried.

Rufflet stretched out its wings and soared high up into the air, just before it met Lillipup. Lillipup missed the Pokémon and was still barreling at full speed.

"Rufflet! Dive down and use Wing Attack!"

Rufflet somersaulted through the air and began soaring back down towards Lillipup without losing any speed.

"No, Lillipup!" Bianca shrieked. Rufflet stretched out its wings once more as it struck Lillipup at full power. The puppy Pokémon keeled over.

Dreadlocks raised his hand. "Lillipup is unable to battle, which means that Rufflet is the-"

"HOLD IT!" Bianca yelled. "Lillipup, Take Down, now!"

"What?!" Ethan exclaimed. He couldn't believe his eyes. Lillipup was still able to battle. Leaping up from the ground, it charged full pelt at Rufflet and struck it directly in the head. Rufflet swayed to and fro for a few moments and then it drooped to the ground, unable to battle.

"No! Rufflet!" Ethan cried. He looked up at Bianca. "How did you-?"

"While I was training with Lillipup, he learned Take Down," she smiled mischievously. "With the added bonus from the two times he used Work Up, Lillipup's attack was very strong indeed! However," she began to look solemn, "Lillipup will take recoil damage from such a reckless attack."

She was right. Lillipup began to groan as it crackled with energy. Utterly diminished in power, the exhausted puppy Pokémon swayed and fell to its side. It, too, had fainted.

Dreadlocks raised both his hands this time. "Lillipup and Rufflet are unable to battle. It's a draw!"

The gang of Trainers shrieked in excitement. Apparently, they liked the idea of a close battle. Just how close it was going to be though, no one knew.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"You did great, Rufflet," Ethan said as he recalled the bird Pokémon, "We've still got a chance, thanks to you." He looked up at Bianca as she, too, recalled her fainted Pokémon. "That was pretty impressive battling," he commented admirably.

She smiled sadly. "Yes, but I was hoping that Lillipup would have a little more energy, so that I had more of an advantage against you."

Ethan smiled. "Oh yeah, I forgot. Our last two Pokémon – Tepig and Deino – are finally going to have their rematch. Of course," he grinned in jest, "I _do_ have the advantage considering Deino won our last match. So I understand why you wanted that extra Pokémon for an advantage."

But Bianca merely smirked. "Since when did I say _anything _about wanting an extra Pokémon for _an_ advantage?" She pulled her final Poké Ball out of her pocket. "I said I only wanted Lillipup so that I could have _more _of an advantage against you."

"What?" Ethan asked. He had no idea what Bianca was talking about. She just sighed. "Oh well," she smiled, "I guess I'll have to show you."

Tossing out her Poké Ball, Ethan braced himself for the fiery Tepig to burst out. But it didn't come. Instead, out came a chubby pig Pokémon with a black-and-gold pattern on its belly. It had a bushy black tail and black glove-like hands. It looked nothing like a Tepig, as it stood on two feet.

"Bianca," asked Ethan tentatively, "What is that?"

Bianca smiled in certain, absolute triumph. "This," she said, "is Pignite!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"_Pignite: the Fire Pig Pokémon and the evolved form of Tepig. Pignite's food converts into fuel for its internal flame and when fuel burns in its stomach, its speed increases."_

Ethan pocketed his Pokédex as he stared at the Pokémon. ""_Evolved form _of Tepig?"

"You haven't heard of evolution?" Bianca asked, surprised. Ethan shook his head. Bianca sighed and began to explain. "Most Pokémon, when certain conditions are met, evolve into a stronger, more powerful Pokémon. Like Pignite here." She motioned to the Fire-type Pokémon. "Tepig evolves into Pignite. In fact, while Tepig is only a Fire-type, Pignite is a dual Fire-Fighting type Pokémon."

"Oh, kay," said Ethan slowly. He was beginning to understand.

Dreadlocks cheered and turned to the gang of Trainers. "Did you hear that, guys? This girl's evolved her Pokémon!" The gang cheered, stamping their feet and jubilation. Dreadlocks turned to Ethan. "Sorry, dude. Unless you've got your own evolved Pokémon, there's no _way_ you can beat a powerful Pokémon like Pignite."

Ethan felt uneasy. He finally realized what Cheren was talking about the other day, about his Pokémon evolving. Thinking on it now, he was pretty sure Deino and Rufflet weren't evolutions of anything. How in the world was he going to beat that bulky Pignite?

Knowing he had no choice but to keep on battling, Ethan tossed out his second Poké Ball. "OK, Deino. Let's take on this thing!" Deino emerged from the Poké Ball and for the first time, Ethan was thankful that Deino was blind. If the poor Dragon-Dark type Pokémon could see what it was going up against, it would probably do what he felt like doing right now: curling up into a ball and crying.

Bianca smirked again. "I knew you'd use Deino. Hey, do you wanna know something even cooler about Pignite?"

"What?" Ethan asked despairingly. How much more bad news was he going to receive?

"Pignite is a Fire-Fighting type, right? Well, Fighting-type moves are super effective on Dark types, like your Deino. In other words, if your Deino gets hit by a Fighting-type move, be prepared to take some serious damage."

Ethan groaned. It couldn't possibly get any worse than this. Despite the odds, Ethan knew he would have to battle his hardest so that Deino wouldn't lose again, especially after its devastating loss at the Striaton Gym. "OK, Deino, Focus Energy." If he was going to unleash an attack, it might as well be at maximum power. Deino sucked in air as it began to take in energy, focusing for its next powerful move.

"Alright, Pignite!" Bianca called. "Start it off with Defense Curl!"

Pignite obeyed and curled up into a ball, raising its Defense against Deino's attacks.

"Deino, use Bite!" Ethan commanded. Deino nodded and rushed towards the sound of Pignite's heavy breathing. It leaped high into the air and sank its jaws into Pignite's body. Ethan's mouth fell open. The attack did no effect.

"What?! Are you kidding me?" He cried.

"Oh, yeah, something else I forgot to mention," Bianca replied, "Dark-type moves like Bite are not very effective against Fighting-types like Pignite." She smiled innocently. "Did you even _bother _to go to the Trainer's School to learn about type matchups?"

Ethan growled. It seemed he was wrong. It _could_ get even worse than this. He had gone learnt about type matchups. He had just forgotten a few; that was all. "OK, Deino, we'll have to make do without using Bite. Use Tackle instead!"

But Bianca was ready. "Pignite, Arm Thrust!"

Pignite uncurled itself and prepared a battle stance as Deino rushed straight towards it. At the last second, Pignite unleashed a flurry of backhand slaps on Deino, who growled in pain as it was held in place by Pignite's strong arms.

"Ethan!" Riley called. "You need to be more careful! Arm Thrust is a Fighting-type move!"

"I've got it covered, Riley!" Ethan cried out in frustration. "Deino, get out of there now!"

Deino pushed against Pignite's thick belly and propelled itself away from the Pokémon. It was now free, although it had taken some serious damage from the super effective move.

"Nice one, Deino! Now use Focus Energy again!"

Deino prepared to unleash a powerful attack soon, when –

"Pignite! Flame Charge!" Bianca cried out. Pignite began to surround itself in orange flames as it charged straight for Deino, who was still preparing for its next attack.

"Deino! Hold your ground!" Ethan commanded. "Stay where you are!"

"What?!" Bianca exclaimed. But Pignite's attack had already hit Deino. However, Deino seemed not to take any damage at all!

Now it was Ethan's turn to smirk. He had remembered _some _information from the Trainer's School, at least. "Fire-type moves aren't very effective against Dragon-type Pokémon? Or had you forgotten?"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Bianca growled in anger. "Hmph. I'll show you what we can do. Pignite, Arm Thrust now!"

"Not so fast!" Ethan cried. "Deino, Dragon Rage!"

Deino opened its mouth and unleashed a purple shock wave that collided with Pignite's oncoming attack. The Fire-type Pokémon was hit by the charged up move and was knocked backwards.

"Alright! Nice one, Deino!" Ethan cried.

"Get back up, Pignite!" Bianca commanded. "Flame Charge!"

But Ethan merely laughed as Pignite sent yet another ineffective Fire-type move against Deino.

"You think it's funny, huh?" Bianca asked. "Well, let's see how funny you think _this _is. Pignite, Arm Thrust once more!"

Pignite charged towards Deino, arms outstretched.

"Deino, dodge it by rolling to the side!" Ethan commanded. But Pignite was faster, moving with superhuman strength and caught Deino, slapping it again with the super effective move. Deino howled as it was tossed aside.

"No!" Ethan cried. How was Pignite faster? It definitely wasn't that fast when Bianca first sent it out.

Bianca shook her head in disdain. "Flame Charge, while not very effective against Deino, increases Pignite's speed every time he uses it."

Ethan snarled. It seemed that Bianca was always one step ahead of him. Apparently, the gang of Trainers had noticed as well, because they had begun to chant Bianca's name. Even Dreadlocks was getting into the cheer. How had he been so stupid? Shouldn't he have learned something from his last battle?

"Pignite, use Ember to finish it off," said Bianca.

"Deino!" Ethan cried, having a sudden stroke of inspiration. "Use Dragon Rage, but spin around on the spot!"

Deino managed to get up, just as Pignite was about to unleash a burst of flames. It opened its mouth again and sent out another purple shockwave, only this time it spun around on the spot, creating a wall of purple flame around it. The flames rose up and Deino was hidden from view. Pignite couldn't see through the flames.

"Be careful, Pignite!" Bianca called.

"Deino, use Focus Energy once more!" Ethan called out. From inside the crackling flames, he could hear Deino sucking in air as it prepared for its next attack.

"Pignite! Use Flame Charge to get through the flames without hurting yourself!" Bianca cried in desperation.

"Now, Deino, use Tackle!" Ethan yelled. Surrounded in orange flames, Pignite charged straight for the purple flames, but Deino shot out and struck Pignite straight in the belly. The pig Pokémon shrieked as the critical hit knocked it back once more and it crumpled to the ground. Pignite had fainted.

Dreadlocks raised his hands for the final time. "Pignite is unable to battle. Deino is the winner, which means that the match goes to Ethan!"

The gang of Trainers cheered and clapped as Ethan picked up his tired Pokémon.

"You were amazing, Deino!" Ethan said to the Dragon-type Pokémon. "You beat him and he was twice your size!" Deino snapped its jaws in triumph. Smiling, Ethan recalled his Pokémon as Riley approached him.

"Congratulations," he murmured. "That was a very unorthodox move you did at the end, but very effective."

"Thanks," laughed Ethan.

Bianca moaned as she recalled Pignite. "I can't believe I lost to you again! And after all that training as well!"

Ethan approached her. "I guess it just shows that type advantages aren't everything. Strategy is what's important."

She made to respond, but the gang of Trainers approached them along with Dreadlocks. "Nice job today, Ethan," he nodded in his direction. "You're not too bad at battling, aren't you?"

"Well-" said Ethan modestly, but he wasn't listening. Dreadlocks turned to Bianca. "And how about you, Miss 'I've-got-an-evolved-Pokémon?' That was some pretty shameful stuff, getting thrashed by that little baby Pokémon."

Bianca looked shocked. "I- I-"

"Save it," said Dreadlocks flatly. "I don't even wanna _know_ you anymore after that disgraceful display of battling. You're an embarrassment to Pokémon Trainers everywhere." The gang guffawed and howled with laughter. Dreadlocks motioned to them. "C'mon guys, let's get out of here." Without another word, the gang of Trainers headed back into the forest, leaving Bianca in ashamed silence and Ethan in shock.

"Hey, Bianca," called Riley, "Don't listen to them, OK? You did an awesome job today."

Bianca gave him a watery smile. "Uh, thanks Riley. Listen, I'm gonna head back to Striaton City now, OK? My Pokémon are exhausted." She began to run off into the forest, waving in farewell. "I'll see you round, guys!" Ethan and Riley returned the wave until the trees had swallowed her into the forest.

"That guy with the dreadlocks was awful!" Ethan cried out.

"Yes," Riley murmured, "He reminded me of Guy from the Trainer's School."

"Well, you know how well _he _ended up after battling you," said Ethan resentfully. "I'm telling you, the next time I see that guy, I'd really like to show him up big time!"

"Be careful," warned Riley, "That time may be sooner than you think."

"How do you know?"

Riley pointed at the set of tracks the gang had left. "They're headed for the Dreamyard too."

"Well," said Ethan, determined, "They'd better watch out for us then!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Ethan and Riley continued through the forest, noticing the occasional sign that pointed them in the direction of the Dreamyard. By the time they reached the middle of the forest, it was the afternoon. As they approached the Dreamyard, Ethan spotted a familiar Pokémon waddling around.

"Hey, look! It's an Oshawott!" Ethan pointed and the Oshawott rushed towards him, waving its little hands around. There was something strange about this Oshawott though. The way it had happily rushed towards them, Ethan got the feeling that this Oshawott wasn't a wild Pokémon at all.

He looked up at Riley, who smiled in understanding. "I get the feeling that we're about to meet a familiar face."


	13. Chapter 13: A Dream Come True

Chapter 13: A Dream Come True

"Oshawott, wait up!" Ethan called out. The otter Pokémon was so excited to see Ethan and Riley that it had taken off straight away. The two boys had been chasing it for almost 10 minutes. At last, Ethan had decided that enough was enough and he collapsed beside a tree to rest for a moment. He groaned wearily. If he and Riley were this tired, he didn't want to think about how tired Oshawott was, especially after running with its little legs. Curiously, however, Oshawott had stopped running as soon as it saw Ethan and Riley halt at the tree.

"That's odd," commented Riley, "Why did Oshawott stop?"

Ethan groaned wearily. "Where is she?"

Riley suddenly pointed to Ethan. "Uh, Ethan?" He was pointing, not at Ethan, but at the tree trunk behind him.

"Wha-? Oh," Ethan gasped as he realized where he was sitting. The last thought he had before the pair of sneakers hit his face were, _Why me?_

"Hey!" Hilda cried as she landed gracefully.

"You know," Ethan said, scowling as he rubbed the red mark that her shoes had left on his face, "One day I'm not going to be there to break your fall. What will you do then?"

"Not jump out of a tree, of course!" Hilda rolled her eyes as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. "Anyway, how've you guys been doing?"

"Oh, not much," explained Riley, "Ethan challenged the Striaton Gym and lost so we're going to the Dreamyard to do some training."

"Riley!" Ethan's face turned pink and he punched the boy's arm.

Hilda laughed. "Tough break, huh? Never mind. I'm in the same boat, too."

"You mean, you lost too?" Ethan asked hopefully. Maybe he wasn't the only one in the group who hadn't lost their first time challenging the Gym.

"What? No, of course not! Don't be stupid!" Hilda said. ("Oh," replied Ethan, feeling stupid again.)

"I meant that I'm going to the Dreamyard for some training too!"

Hilda went on. "Yeah, I need to get Oshawott into top condition if I want that Badge, because I have no other Pokémon to battle with."

"Really? You still haven't found one yet?" Riley asked, remembering back to their conversation in Accumula Town.

Hilda sighed, looking forlorn. "Yeah. I've been looking around so hard, but I can barely find one that I like. The other day I finally did, but when I tried to catch it, it got away! I guess it's my own fault. Maybe if I wasn't so picky, I'd have a full team already."

"Well, maybe you'll get lucky today!" Ethan said brightly.

"I think it is," said Hilda. "After all, I've heard about a new Pokémon that lives here; one that I haven't heard of before."

"Well, how about you come with us?" Riley offered. "We'd be happy to help out."

"That'd be awesome! Thanks!" Hilda smiled. She looked down at Oshawott, who had waddled over during the course of their conversation. "Hey, Oshawott! Thanks for looking for them!" She recalled her Pokémon. "I got a call from Bianca a while ago. She said that you guys were headed for the Dreamyard. Luckily, I was on the way too. She didn't seem too happy, though."

Ethan and Riley looked at each other uneasily. They knew what had made Bianca unhappy. Earlier, Ethan beat her in a battle and a gang of observing Trainers had offended her.

"Anyway, I called out Oshawott to keep an eye out for you in case you guys showed up and sure enough…" Hilda finished. "So, shall we head off then?"

Ethan nodded. "Sure thing. Let's find that Pokémon."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The Dreamyard was not too far away. It was a large abandoned factory that looked like it had been blown up. The majority of the building was gone and the leftover parts had fallen into various states of disrepair. There was a large crater in the centre of the factory. Scattered around were various Pokémon nests. Beyond the Dreamyard lay more forest, but it had been sectioned off. However, the forest still surrounded the whole factory and little Pokémon could be seen poking their heads out of the trees.

"Wow! It's amazing…ly filthy," commented Ethan. "Still, it looks like lots of Pokémon are living around here."

"Of course there are," Hilda replied, pulling out her Town Map and reading. "After all, the Dreamyard was left like this as a habitat for wild Pokémon. According to the Town Map, the Dreamyard is literally _teeming_ with Pokémon."

To prove her point, she pointed in the direction of the factory. From behind one of the cracked pillars emerged a familiar Pokémon with puffy cheeks.

"A Patrat!" Ethan cried, recognizing the rat Pokémon from Cheren's battle with Professor Juniper.

Riley looked thoughtful. "Didn't Hilbert tell us that he was trying to catch one? Speaking of Hilbert, where is he?"

"Oh yeah!" Hilda gasped. "I completely forgot to tell you! Hilbert caught one, right after our battle!"

"Really? That's awesome!" Ethan smiled. "But where is he?"

"He wanted to go out on to Route 3," explained Hilda, "because Cheren called him out there to battle. I don't know how well he went though. I heard Cheren already has that first Badge. He'd be pretty difficult to beat." She looked back at the pillar, but the Patrat had disappeared. "Huh. Where'd it go, I wonder?"

A bush rustled off to her side. The three of them whirled around to see what had made the noise. From out of the bushes tottered a blue-eyed Pokémon with a pink and cream body. Its ears looked like two wings and two long strands protruded from them. Its tail was lumpy and white.

"Hey!" Hilda exclaimed. "I've seen that Pokémon before!" Pulling out her Pokédex, she scanned it. After a few moments, Dexter's metallic voice chimed in.

"_Audino: the Hearing Pokémon. Audino can assess a Pokémon's overall physical condition and mood using its ears."_

"That's the Pokémon that they use in Pokémon Centers!" Hilda cried. Thinking back on it now, Ethan did recall seeing a Pokémon like that at the both the Striaton City and Accumula Town Pokémon Centers. "Yeah, you're right! They're always next to the nurses!"

"Audino must be one of the healers," Riley said.

Something was wrong. The wild Audino looked concerned. It cooed several times and stepped forward. Taking Hilda by the hand, it began leading her in the direction of the forest.

"Huh? Where are you taking us?" Hilda exclaimed.

But Audino didn't reply. It kept leading her into the forest.

Riley shrugged his shoulders. "We should follow Audino. It looks like it's trying to tell us something."

Ethan nodded and the two followed Hilda and Audino into the forest. After following it for a while, they began to hear a whimper of pain.

"Do you hear that?" Hilda asked. "It sounds like someone's hurt themselves."

"Or some_thing_," added Riley as he pointed solemnly at the Audino.

Up against a tree lay a wild Pokémon. It was clearly injured and was whimpering feverishly. It looked like a little purple ball and had a floral pattern on its back. Curious, Ethan pulled out his Pokédex.

"_Munna: the Dream Eater Pokémon. Munna can eat the dreams of people and Pokémon alike and then project those dreams by emitting Dream Mist from its body."_

"Munna," Ethan repeated quietly.

"It's hurt!" Hilda gasped. "Audino must have found it earlier and wanted us to help." She turned to the Audino. "How can we help Munna?"

Audino cooed softly before picking up a single blue berry with a silver top. It pointed to the berry, gestured picking a berry and pointed to Munna. The command was simple. _Find more of these Berries and feed them to Munna._

"I know what that is!" Hilda said breathlessly. "That's an Oran Berry! They help restore a Pokémon's health!" She turned to Audino. "Do you need these to heal Munna?"

Audino nodded. Hilda pulled off her backpack and began rifling through one of the pockets. "I'll go one better than an Oran Berry and use this." She pulled out a purple and silver spray bottle. "This is a Potion. Will this be alright?"

Audino nodded and pointed to Munna.

"Alright," said Hilda. She approached the injured Pokémon. It was still murmuring softly. "It's alright," said Hilda soothingly, "This'll help." She proceeded to spray the Potion on Munna's body. The effect was immediate. Munna slowly began to stop whimpering and gradually opened up its red eyes to look directly at Hilda. Hilda stared back, intrigued.

Audino cooed happily and patted Munna softly. Munna whispered back quietly and smiled.

"Thank you for helping!" Riley called out. Audino cooed once more and tottered away into the forest.

The three Trainers headed back to the factory. Munna was cradled in Hilda's arms. It was still quite weak, but was conscious at least.

"I still don't understand," said Hilda. "Why was Munna hurt?"

"Maybe it had just battled another wild Pokémon," suggested Ethan.

"Maybe it had battled a Trainer," said Riley thoughtfully.

"Or maybe," came a familiar voice, "It's a weakling Pokémon that doesn't deserve a Trainer."

Ethan, Hilda and Riley whirled around in surprise to the sound of the voice. They had quietly emerged from the trees and stood feet away from the three friends. It was the gang of Trainers, led by the boy with the dreadlocks.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Well, well, well," said the boy with the dreadlocks, "If it isn't Ethan. What a surprise to see you here!" His smile turned into a snarl. "Although, I never would've guessed that you would be one to comfort weaklings."

"Why are you here?" Ethan asked viciously. "It was you who hurt Munna, wasn't it?"

"Woah, calm down! I was doing the thing a favour!" The boy smiled nastily. "By the way, I do have a name. Steve, at your service." He tipped his hat in mock greeting. His friends laughed.

"You're disgusting!" spat Hilda, "You think it's justifiable to beat up innocent Pokémon? You're sick!"

"Hey! Like I said before, I was doing that thing a favour," retorted Steve. It came up to me and my friends, wanting to play around. I told it to get lost, but it wouldn't listen. I had to teach it a lesson somehow, didn't I?" He savoured the last sentence as he tormented Hilda. "Just like I taught your friend. Isn't that right, Ethan?" He smiled at Ethan. Ethan did not return the smile.

"You're evil!" Hilda cried. "Pokémon are our friends! Beating them up sure is a crappy way of showing your respect!"

"You're absolutely right," smirked Steve, "It wasn't a very nice way of showing my respect for Pokémon." He motioned to his gang, who laughed heartily once more.

"Do you ever get sick of acting like idiots whenever he opens his mouth?" Riley retorted to the gang. The gang stopped laughing and stared daggers at Riley.

Steve raised his hands in mock surrender. "Now, now, calm down everybody," he said reasonably. "You're right. I didn't show my respect for Pokémon at all. I choose to do _that_ by battling."

Hilda raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting what I think you are?"

"You catch on quick," smirked Steve. "I want to battle for that Munna. If you win, we'll let you go and you can keep it to yourself. But if _I _win, you have to give Munna back to us. I'd surely like to teach it some more manners."

Hilda nodded determinedly. "You've got yourself a battle."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"OK, the battle will be a Single Battle. The side that makes the other Pokémon faint wins the battle," explained Ethan, who had volunteered to referee the battle. Riley stood behind Hilda, holding Munna in his arms and Steve was supported by his gang from behind.

"Come on! Let's get going already!" Steve yelled. Even from the other side of the field, Ethan could still see his taunting smirk that made him want to punch something. He turned to Hilda. "You ready?"

"Ready when you are," said Hilda. "You're up, Oshawott!" she cried.

Oshawott burst out of its Poké Ball and began staring down the opposition.

"Whatever," grunted Steve, "Purrloin, let's do this!" Out from the Poké Ball burst a purple feline-looking Pokémon with purple markings above its eyes and a tail shaped like a blade.

"What's that?" Ethan asked as he pulled out his Pokédex.

"_Purrloin, the Devious Pokémon. Purrloin fools people into letting their guard down so it can steal their possessions. When angered, it uses its claws to fight back."_

Steve clicked his fingers. "Purrloin, Fury Swipes!"

Purrloin nodded and extended its claws as it charged towards Oshawott, paws outstretched.

"Oshawott," Hilda countered, "Draw!"

Oshawott nodded and drew its scalchop. Purrloin leapt into the air at the last second and dove straight down towards Oshawott.

"Now, Oshawott!" Hilda cried.

Oshawott spun on the spot and swung its scalchop just as Purrloin's claws struck down. The scalchop made a dull _thunk_ as it impacted against Purrloin's head. The cat Pokèmon was sent sprawling in the dirt as it hit the ground.

"Nice one, Oshawott!" Hilda smiled. "Now, strike back with Razor Shell!"

Oshawott's scalchop began to hum and glow blue. Crying out, Oshawott swung the scalchop as it collided once more with Purrloin. Purrloin shrieked as it was hit once more.

Steve roared. "Purrloin: Sand Attack, now!"

Purrloin leapt up and kicked up dirt, sending it flying towards Oshawott. The attack was a direct hit and Oshawott howled as it flailed around, trying to get the sand out of its eyes.

"Now, Purrloin, use Pursuit!" Steve growled, smirking.

Purrloin charged forwards. Oshawott was still flailing around, attempting to get the sand out of its eyes.

"Oshawott!" Hilda cried, but it was too late. Purrloin struck Oshawott at full speed and the Water-type Pokèmon fell forwards.

The gang of Trainers cheered and applauded in smug jubilation.

"Ha!" laughed Steve. "Guess your Pokèmon was just as useless as that Munna!"

"You-!" Hilda started towards him.

"Hilda. Calm down," Riley said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're never going to win if you don't keep your cool in battle."

Hilda took a deep breath and sighed. "You're right. Alright, let's finish this. Oshawott, can you get back up?"

Oshawott nodded and slowly got back up, the sand still in its eyes. The gang of Trainers had stopped laughing as they looked on in surprise.

"Right," said Steve, "Purrloin, give it a Fury Swipes!"

Purrloin growled and charged towards Oshawott once again, claws outstretched.

"Oshawott, use Water Gun! Spray yourself in the face!" Hilda cried suddenly.

"What?!" Ethan exclaimed.

"No way!" Steve yelled.

Oshawott unleashed a stream of water into its eyes. The sand was all gone.

"Alright! Nice one, Oshawott! Now, use Razor Shell to stop Purrloin!"

Oshawott nodded and withdrew its scalchop once more. Purrloin leapt into the air again, preparing to strike its final blow.

"Let him have it, Oshawott!" Hilda cried.

Oshawott swung hard at the last second. However, Purrloin did not move.

"Wha-?!" Steve growled.

Purrloin's claws had become stuck in Oshawott's scalchop. Steve roared in fury and his gang gasped in shock and horror.

"Yes!" Hilda exclaimed. "Oshawott, spin around on the spot! Do it as fast as you can!"

Oshawott began throwing its arm around and around above its head. With its claws firmly lodged in the scalchop, Purrloin could do nothing but cry in fear as it spun around and around.

"Purrloin!" roared Steve. "Get out of there!"

"Now, Oshawott!" Hilda commanded. "Bring it straight into the ground!"

Oshawott threw down its arm and Purrloin struck the hard ground head first. The impact sent it flying away from Oshawott's scalchop. Ending up spread-eagled in the dirt at Steve's feet, Purrloin remained motionless.

Ethan raised his hand. "Purrloin has fainted, which means the winner is Oshawott!"

Steve bellowed in fury. His gang watched in shock. Steve began towards Hilda in anger.

"Hey!" Ethan called out. "You keep away from her!"

"Or what?" Steve countered.

"She won fair and square," Riley replied. "Leave us alone like you said you would."

Steve stepped past Hilda and lunged for Riley and Munna.

"Oshawott, Razor Shell!" Hilda cried.

Oshawott charged forward and struck Steve in the head with its scalchop twice. Steve shrieked in pain. "What the hell was that?!" he bellowed at Hilda.

"Stay away from me and my friends," answered Hilda in a low voice, "or else I'll be back to finish the job."

"You-" Steve began, before growling once more. "Come on!" he motioned to his gang. "Let's head back to Striaton." He recalled Purrloin and stomped off towards his gang.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Are you alright, Munna?" Hilda asked. The pink Pokèmon nodded, smiling. It was much better now. Riley placed it gently on the ground and it slowly managed to hover above the ground. It began waving its small arms.

"What are you trying to say?" Hilda asked.

"I think," answered Riley, "That Munna wants to thank you for saving it."

Munna nodded and smiled once more at Hilda.

"Oh, that's OK, Munna," smiled Hilda. "I'm just glad you're alright."

"Hey!" Ethan said. "How about you take care of Munna?"

"What do you mean?" Hilda asked.

"Well," explained Ethan, "You're still looking for your first Pokèmon to catch, right? And you want to make sure that Munna is safe. Why don't you catch it?"

"Hmm," pondered Riley, "That's actually a very good idea. Why don't you take care of Munna, Hilda?"

Hilda hesitated. "Well, I guess if Munna wants me to, then…" She paused for a moment. "How about it, Oshawott?"

Oshawott nodded happily.

"Alright then," decided Hilda, "Munna, you're coming with us!" She withdrew an empty Pokè Ball. "Go, Pokè Ball!"

Munna jumped forward happily as the Pokè Ball swallowed it up. The Ball landed on the ground with a soft _thunk_ and wobbled once, twice, three times before a final _click_.

"Alright!" Hilda exclaimed. "My first catch!" She smiled at the Pokè Ball. "You and me, Munna, we're going to ace that first Pokèmon Gym."

"Hey! That's right!" Ethan cried. "The whole time we were here, I forgot to train for my rematch!" He sighed. "Great."

"It's OK," replied Riley. "There's still plenty of time for us to train. Why not put off the challenge for a few more days?"

"Oh, all right," sighed Ethan. "I just don't want to get too far behind, that's all."

"Don't worry about it, Ethan," chimed in Hilda. "You'll be ready before you know it!"

"What are you going to do now?" Riley asked.

Hilda paused. "Well, I guess I'll head off to Striaton City now. Oshawott's been training really hard these past few days and I'm sure there's plenty more Pokèmon to battle on the way back to Striaton City."

"I guess this is goodbye, then," commented Ethan.

"For now, I guess," Hilda shrugged. "I'm sure we'll see each other soon enough. See you round!"

And with that, Hilda turned her back on the two boys and headed off in the sunset, Oshawott by her side.

"So," shrugged Riley, "Back to two again, huh?"

"Yep," replied Ethan. "Well, I guess I should get to training if I want that Trio Badge."

_Soon_, he thought to himself. _We're almost there._

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**


	14. Chapter 14: Raised Stakes

Chapter 14: Raised Stakes

_It's time_, Ethan thought to himself as he stood outside the Pokèmon Gym with Riley by his side. The past three days had been a whirlwind, journeying back and forth between the Dreamyard and the Pokèmon Center, training Deino and Rufflet. At last, he knewhe was ready to take on the Gym once more.

"Be careful," warned Riley. "Remember what happened last time. Just stay on your guard and don't do anything stupid. Stick to what you know."

"I know," Ethan nodded. "But this time is going to be much different from last time. I just know it."

"Well then," said Riley, "Let's head in, shall we?"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

It was the lunch rush once again. The restaurant was packed with families. Ethan and Riley headed over to the front counter. Then–

"Oh, God, not you again!" Ethan groaned under his breath.

It was the insane waitress from the other day. "Hello!" she smiled brightly, then gasped. "Oh! It's you again! How can I help?"

"Uh," started Ethan, "I was wondering if I could, um… _request _the, uh… 3-Course Special?"

The waitress gasped once more. "Oh, yes! Yes, of course you may! Hang on a moment." She practically leapt out of her seat in excitement and almost tripped over on the way to the microphone. She picked it up and tapped it three times with her finger. Once again, the feedback from the mike shrieked and wailed. The customers screeched and clutched their ears in pain.

"Ladies and gentlemen! May I have your attention?" cried the waitress.

"You already had it!" jeered a man angrily.

The waitress either misheard him or chose to ignore him. Either way, she ploughed on. "Ladies and gentlemen, you are in for a treat today! We've just received a request for the 3-Course Special!"

Any anger in the audience disappeared instantly at the mention of a Gym Battle. The crowd began to cheer loudly.

"But that's not all, ladies and gentlemen!" continued the waitress. "No, this Trainer has returned for a no-holds-barred _grudge match_. That's right: we have a _rematch_ on our hands today, people!"

The crowd went wild, cheering and stamping their feet. Ethan was beginning to get unnerved again at how seriously this waitress took her job. "Uh, can you wrap this up, please?" he asked her. "I'd really like to have my battle now."

"Shush! Quiet!" hissed the waitress. "I haven't finished!"

"O…kay," said Ethan, slightly unsettled. He looked over at Riley, who merely shrugged.

The waitress returned her attention to the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen. You've read about them in the papers. You've heard about them from the TV. Now please welcome-"

"The one," interrupted Ethan.

"The only," continued Riley.

"Quiet!" screeched the waitress. "That's my line!"

"Hurry up!" called out a woman in the audience.

"Yes, alright then!" said the flustered waitress, "Please give it up for Cilan, Cilli and Cress!"

The lights when dim as a spotlight shone on the stage. The curtain rose up to reveal the three Gym Leaders. They smiled and waved to the cheering crowd, who couldn't get enough of the three Leaders.

Cilan saw Ethan. "Hello, Ethan!" he cried. "How have you been?"

Ethan stepped up on stage. "Hi, Cilan. I'm here to challenge you to a rematch!"

"Really?" asked Cress. "What makes you any more likely to win today than last time?"

"This time?" repeated Ethan. "This time, I'm ready to win."

"All right then," said Cilli. He turned to the audience. "As Gym Leaders of Striaton City, we accept your challenge!"

The audience clapped and cheered. Cilan pulled out his remote and pressed the button. Once again, the walls around the restaurant began to sink into the ground. The stage began to rumble as it expanded and the battling field grew larger. Finally, the restaurant was completely outdoors and the battling field was its proper size. The stage was set. Now it was time for the battle.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Cilan walked up to Ethan. "Did the Dreamyard prove useful for you?" he asked.

Ethan nodded. "It sure did. My Pokèmon are much stronger now."

"Good," Cilan clapped his hands together, a glint in his eye. "I hope you give it your all today." He turned on his heel and marched back to his brothers on the other side of the field. Riley moved to the audience to watch from the sidelines.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" announced the waitress once more. "The Gym Leaders will send one Pokémon each against the Pokémon of the Trainer's choice. The side that wins at least two out of the three battles is the overall winner. Each battle will be over when one side's Pokémon are no longer able to battle. Only the challenger may substitute Pokémon at any time during the battle."

She turned to face Ethan. "Challengers: are you ready?"

"Wait!" Ethan cried. "Wait a minute!" He looked directly at the Gym Leaders. "Seeing as this is my second turn battling you guys, I thought maybe we could raise the stakes a little."

Cilan looked confused. "In what sense?"

Ethan smiled. He wasn't sure why he was doing this. Perhaps it was to please the crowd, to give them a more exciting battle. "I mean," he explained, "To win, I don't have to win two out of three battles. I have to win _all three battles _to win that Badge!"

Cilan's mouth fell open.

Cilli smirked.

Cress shook his head in dismay.

The audience gasped.

Riley smiled.

The waitress dropped the microphone on her foot. "OW!" she screamed. "I mean, what?!"

"Ethan," asked Cilan, "Are you serious?"

"Yep!" Ethan smiled. "Either I win all three, or I don't get that Badge. It's only fair, right? After all, I already know which Pokèmon you're going to use."

"Yes, but isn't this risking a lot?" asked Cress. "I don't know how good your chances are of beating all three of us. This is just silly!"

"What do you mean 'chances'?" Ethan asked incredulously. "This isn't about chance. It's about skill, right?"

"What do you think?" Cilan asked his brothers.

Cilli shrugged. "I say, if he wants to go all or nothing, we let him."

"I guess if he's sure of his decision," decided Cress, "then we let him do this."

Cilan sighed in defeat. "All right, Ethan. Have it your way." He nodded to the waitress. "The battle goes according to Ethan."

The waitress looked flustered. "Very well then," she said, "Let the battle begin!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Cress stepped up. "I'd like to start off, if you don't mind. Panpour, come on out!"

He cast out his Pokè Ball. Out came the little blue monkey that Ethan recognised as Panpour.

_Hmm,_ Ethan thought to himself. _I used Rufflet against Panpour last time and he got knocked out when I tried to use Peck. I'll have to use different tactics this time._

"Rufflet, let's go!"

Rufflet soared out of the Pokè Ball, cawing menacingly at Panpour.

"My turn, I think," said Cress calmly. "Panpour, use Bite!"

Panpour sprang into action and bared its teeth at Rufflet, preparing to strike as it charged.

"Rufflet!" Ethan commanded. "Stop it with Scary Face!"

Rufflet obeyed and stared threateningly at Panpour. Panpour's run slowed to a walk as it froze, paralysed with fear at Rufflet's ominous gaze.

"Good job. Now, use Fury Attack!"

Rufflet dived on Panpour and struck with its beak, claws and wings, striking any part of Panpour it could reach. The Water-type Pokèmon howled as it was struck again and again.

"Panpour, get out of there!" cried Cress. "Use Water Sport and aim it at the ground!

Panpour mustered up its strength and shot puddle after puddle of water into the ground, propelling it backwards, away from Rufflet's attack.

"Nice work, Panpour!" said Cress. "OK, Water Gun, but keep your distance!"

Panpour nodded and shot jets of water straight at Rufflet.

"Ready, Rufflet?" Ethan asked. Rufflet nodded. "OK," said Ethan, "Use Wing Attack to hit them right back at Panpour!"

The crowd gasped in amazement as Rufflet suddenly began using its wings to strike the jets of water back at Panpour, like some bizarre game of baseball.

"Keep going, Rufflet!" Ethan cried. "Now, start closing in!"

Still batting away Panpour's Water Gun attack, Rufflet began to fly towards Panpour.

"Panpour, change to Fury Swipes!" Cress commanded. Panpour's Water Gun attack instantly changed to a Fury Swipes as it leapt up towards Rufflet, claws outstretched.

But Ethan was prepared. "Rufflet, Peck as soon as it strikes! Catch its claws in your mouth!"

"Huh?" Cress was dumbfounded. "Panpour, stop!"

It was too late. Panpour had already struck and Rufflet's beak closed in around its claws. Panpour shrieked in pain as its claws were caught. Rufflet began to fly higher, carrying Panpour's claws in its mouth.

"Now, Rufflet! Wing Attack and then drop it!"

Rufflet smacked its wings together, striking Panpour on either side of its body, and then released its claws. Panpour plummeted downwards, hitting the ground with a sickening crunch. Rufflet gracefully soared down to the ground. Panpour didn't get up.

"Panpour is unable to battle!" announced the waitress. "The winner is Rufflet!"

The crowd were on their feet, amazed and stunned at the battle they had just witnessed. Riley smiled and tipped his hat to Ethan, who returned it with a knowing smile.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Cress retrieved his Pokè Ball. "Panpour, return," he said regretfully. He spoke to Ethan. "Your Rufflet battled well. You should be proud of such a fine Pokèmon. That truly was an exciting battle." He smiled and stepped off the stage.

Cilli took his place. "My turn!" he cried. "Let's do this!" He withdrew his Pokè Ball. "Come on out, Pansear!"

Pansear leaped out of its Pokè Ball and assumed a battle stance, ready to fight.

_Pansear_, thought Ethan. _Last time, Deino lost because of its Yawn attack. We'd better be more careful this time. _"Good work, Rufflet," he said, recalling his Pokèmon. "You're up, Deino!"

Deino burst out of the Pokè Ball and growled threateningly at Pansear. It seemed that the Pokèmon was still bitter over its loss against Pansear.

"Interesting," contemplated Cilli. "The same Pokèmon as last time, I see. We'd best be on our guard, Pansear. They look like they have a trick up their sleeve."

"You bet we do," replied Ethan. "Deino, Dragon Rage, now!"

Deino growled and emitted purple flames that sent a shockwave across the stage. Cilli was ready for it, though.

"Pansear, intercept with Incinerate!" commanded Cilli; his wild demeanour had disappeared and he was now all business.

Pansear exhaled and shot red flames directly at Deino's attack. The purple and red flames collided in the middle of the stage, flickering and whooshing fiercely. The audience gasped. The two attacks were at a stalemate.

"Come on, Deino!" Ethan called. "Wear it down!"

Deino roared, the purple flames overpowering the red as they approached Pansear's exposed body.

"Force it back, Pansear!" cried Cilli. "Light it up!"

Pansear growled and fought back, exhaling an even more powerful Incinerate attack. The red flames forced Deino's attack back. The match was in a deadlock.

Suddenly, both attacks proved too powerful for each other and broke apart from each other. Deino's attack shot straight for Pansear's side, striking it directly. Pansear's attack did the same to Deino. Both Pokèmon were sent sprawling backwards, equally damaged. The audience gasped and cheered at the impact of the two powerful attacks.

"Deino! Are you OK?" Ethan asked. Deino got back up and nodded, staring fiercely at Pansear. Ethan looked at Cilli, who was looking very concerned for Pansear, who was still trying to get up; Pansear's Fire-type attack wasn't as effective on a Dragon-type like Deino, so Pansear had taken a lot more damage.  
>"Now, Deino!" Ethan commanded. "Bite!"<p>

Deino growled and pelted across the stage towards Pansear, who was just getting up. Cilli could do nothing but watch in horror as his Fire-type Pokèmon was struck by Deino's Bite attack. However, Pansear was getting up.

"Quick, Pansear!" cried Cilli. "Use Yawn!"

"No!" Ethan exclaimed, but Deino was too close to Pansear to dodge. Pansear yawned directly at Deino, who took the sleep-inducing attack directly.

"Ha!" Cilli laughed confidently. "Just like last time! We'll have you down as quickly as we did in our last battle!"

"Not likely," muttered Ethan fiercely. "Deino, Bite it again!"

"Pansear, stop it with Fury Swipes!" Cilli interrupted. Once again, the two Pokèmon were in such close range of each other that both attacks hit directly. Deino struck Pansear and refused to let go, while Pansear struck again and again on the Dragon-type Pokèmon who was still biting it. Eventually, Deino bounced away, using Pansear's body to propel itself. Deino began to sway, drowsy.

"No way, Deino!" Ethan barked. "Keep on fighting!"

"Looks like your Deino is about to fall asleep," Cilli commented coolly. "It looks like we've got the upper hand now."

"Deino, Bite it once more!" Ethan cried. "Don't let go of it!"

Deino nodded and fought through the drowsiness, leaping straight at Pansear. The attack happened so quickly that Cilli barely had time to register before Deino's teeth sunk into Pansear once more. This time, Deino refused to let go. Finally, Deino fully succumbed to the effects of the Yawn attack and released Pansear, drooping to the floor. It was asleep.

"Alright, Pansear!" cried Cilli. "Finish it off with a Fury Swipes… Pansear?"

But Pansear didn't obey. It stood frozen and instead of attacking Deino, it covered its body with its hands in fear.

"No! Pansear! What's wrong?"

But Ethan realised what had happened. "Hey, Cilli!" He called. "It looks like Deino's Bite attack finally paid off. Pansear flinched!"

The crowd were astounded. They were on their feet, cheering words of support for both Trainers. This had to be one of the more exciting battles they had seen.

"No!" Cilli cried. "Come on, Pansear! Fury Swipes!"

But Pansear was afraid to move. Deino had bitten it so fiercely that it was scared to attack.

"And now we wait," smirked Ethan.

He didn't have to wait very long. Moments later, Deino opened its eyes once more and got back up.

"Back in the game, Deino!" Ethan smiled. "Nice work! Now, finish this with a Dragon Rage!"

"Pansear! Incinerate!" Cilli cried in desperation.

But it was too late. Deino was too close for Pansear to attack quickly enough. Cilli stared in despair as Pansear was engulfed by the purple flames. When the flames cleared, Pansear was on the ground. It had fainted.

"Pansear is unable to battle," cried the waitress as she raised her arm, "which means that Deino is the winner!"

The crowd were cheering, stunned and awestruck at the tense battle that had just taken place. Even Riley looked surprised that Ethan had come up with such a strategy.

_And then_, thought Ethan, _there was one._

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Cilli recalled Pansear sadly. "You battled hard, Pansear," he said consolingly. "I'm proud of you." He faced Ethan. "You've improved a lot since our last battle. Congratulations. I'm going to be very interested in your growth as a Trainer." Giving Ethan one last smile, he stepped down from the stage.

Cilan took his place, looking peaceful as ever. "Are you ready for your final battle, Ethan?" he asked.

"Sure am!" Ethan replied, excited.

Cilan regarded him solemnly. "In hindsight, I feel like it was foolish of me to let you have to win all three battles. You could have won the Trio Badge by now."

"You don't have to worry about battling me, Cilan," Ethan replied confidently. "I'm going to win all three battles, no matter what. Just you wait. You won't be disappointed."

Cilan smiled slightly. "I certainly hope not. Pansage, I'm calling on you!"

The green monkey Pokèmon burst out of the Pokè Ball, crying excitedly.

_Pansage, _thought Ethan. _Might as well do what I did last time._

"Deino, return! Rufflet, I need your help again!"

Deino dissolved back into its Pokè Ball as Rufflet soared out of its Ball once more.

"Rufflet, again?" Cilan asked. "I knew you would switch out, especially for the type advantage."

"You bet!" Ethan replied determinedly. "Rufflet, Peck!"

Rufflet soared across the stage as it dived towards Pansage, head-first.

"Not so fast," interrupted Cilan calmly. "Pansage, Leer."

Pansage stared fiercely at Rufflet, who eventually slowed down its attack until it stopped, terrified at Pansage's menacing gaze.

"Quick, Rufflet!" commanded Ethan. "Strike back with Wing Attack!"

Rufflet returned to the offensive and dived towards Pansage, wings outstretched.

"Nice try," countered Cilan, "But you'll have to do better than that. Pansage, Leech Seed, now!"

Pansage nodded, sucked in air and spat out a green seed. The seed hit Rufflet in the face. Apart from that, it didn't seem to do any noticeable damage.

Ethan was bewildered. "What was that?"

But Rufflet had stopped flying. In fact, it was now on the ground, writhing around as green vines emerged from the seed and wrapped themselves around Rufflet's little body. Suddenly, the vines began to glow red and Rufflet was hit.

"What?!" Ethan cried.

"Leech Seed," explained Cilan, "sucks health from your Pokèmon every turn. In fact, the only way to stop it is to defeat my Pokèmon."

"Damn," Ethan muttered. "OK, Rufflet, we'll have to be careful from now on. Use Fury Attack, now!"

"Strike back with Fury Swipes," replied Cilan.

The two Pokèmon ran straight at each other and struck at the same moment. Both took heavy damage from the multi-turn attacks. However, it seemed that-

"Hey! Pansage took more damage than Rufflet for that one!" Ethan cried triumphantly.

Cilan raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Suddenly, the green vines glowed red again and sucked more health from Rufflet.

"Damn it!" Ethan growled. "Come on, Rufflet! You've got to keep fighting!"

"You can push Rufflet all you want, Ethan," commented Cilan, "But you're going to have to come up with some other strategy if you want to beat Pansage, instead of just relying on the type advantage."

"I'll show _you_ type advantage," Ethan hissed under his breath. "Rufflet! Hit it with a Wing Attack!"

Rufflet squawked menacingly, soared up into the air and then dived straight down for Pansage.

Cilan sighed. "So predictable. Pansage, strike it down with a Vine Whip at the last second."

Pansage obeyed as two vines emerged from its collar. Just as Rufflet soared down to strike, Pansage sent the vines flying into Rufflet's side, off-balancing the poor Flying-type Pokèmon and sending it hurtling to the ground, head-first. Rufflet hit the ground.

"No! Rufflet!" Ethan cried. "Get up! Please get up!"

Rufflet was having serious trouble stirring. Eventually, it managed to raise its bruised body. Suddenly, the green vines glowed red once more and Rufflet was hit by another Leech Seed attack.

The crowd was cheering for Cilan and Pansage. Riley looked despondently at Ethan. The battle was quickly slipping out of his control.

Cilan looked sadly at Rufflet. "Ethan, your poor Pokèmon is on the verge of fainting. Shouldn't we just call off the match? You've already won two of three! You've earned the Badge!"

"No!" Ethan said resolutely. "I'm not letting you make excuses for me! I'm not leaving this stage until I've earned that Badge and the only way that's going to happen is if I win _all_ _three battles _like we all agreed!" Cilan looked ready to protest, but Ethan held up a hand. "Please don't, Cilan. I'm not about to give up. Can I… can we just have a time out for… for five minutes?"

The crowd ceased their noise. This clearly didn't happen too often. What was this rookie Trainer going to do?

Cilan sighed, then turned to his brothers. "What do you think? Shall we give him a break?"

"Sure," said Cress.

"OK," agreed Cilli.

Cilan nodded and turned back to face Ethan. "Alright, Ethan. You can have a five-minute break. Then we'll start up again."

"Thank you," replied Ethan gratefully. He then motioned for Riley to come up on to stage.

"What are you thinking?" he asked Ethan.

Ethan smiled. "I'm thinking that I've just won this Gym Badge."

Riley looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Riley, you saw the look on his face," Ethan explained. "He thinks I'm at the end of my rope."

"Wha-? So, this is all some kind of ruse to throw him off?"

"Exactly," Ethan grinned. "The truth is, I've known what I was going to do the minute Pansage came out. Cilan thinks I'm only going to rely on my type advantage. He's wrong."

"You mean-?"

"Yep," said Ethan assertively. "Now, I think it's time I won that Badge, don't you think?"

Riley sighed in relief. "I couldn't agree more."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Ready to go, Ethan?" Cilan called from across the stage. The crowd were growing impatient and were making some noise. They were hungry for the battle to continue.

"Let's finish this," Ethan replied. He looked at Riley, who had returned to his seat in the crowd. The two exchanged a knowing nod, before Ethan returned his attention to the battle.

"Alright, Pansage," commanded Cilan, "Let's round up this battle."

"Not so fast, Cilan," Ethan called. He withdrew a Pokè Ball. "Rufflet, return!"

Cilan raised an eyebrow. "You're recalling your type advantage?" he asked dubiously.

"Sure!" Ethan confirmed. "After all, you _were _expecting me to rely on Rufflet for the whole battle like last time, weren't you?"

"Well, to be honest, yes," admitted Cilan. "I must say, Ethan, this certainly makes battling you all the more interesting." All the pity had disappeared from his gaze and he now regarded Ethan with a confident smile.

"OK, Deino, one last time!" Ethan cried as he sent out his signature Pokèmon. Deino roared as it emerged from the Pokè Ball, raring to go.

"Pansage, Leech Seed!" Cilan commanded.

"No waiting around this time, Deino," said Ethan. "Set that seed on fire with Dragon Rage!"

Deino growled and exhaled its purple flames once more, shooting them straight for Pansage's Leech Seed attack.

"Keep firing, Pansage!" Cilan ordered. Pansage continued to fire seeds at Deino.

"Don't stop until they're all gone, Deino!" Ethan countered.

Deino refused to let up on the offense. Eventually, Pansage had run out of steam and had to stop shooting seeds at Deino.  
>"Right, now charge at it with Bite!" Ethan cried.<p>

"Dodge and then strike back with Vine Whip!" Cilan barked.

The two Pokèmon moved as fast as possible. Pansage was just too fast for Deino. The vines were sent towards the Dragon-type Pokèmon.

"Quick, Deino! Bite the vines instead!" Ethan commanded.

Deino obeyed and sank its teeth into Pansage's Vine Whip attack.

"No!" Cilan exclaimed.

"Now, swing Pansage around!" Ethan cried.

Deino began to spin around on the spot, as Pansage was spun around and around. Ethan was using the same strategy that Hilda had used the other day at the Dreamyard with her Oshawott.

"OK, now smack it into the ground!"

Pansage was brought to the ground with a loud _crash, _sending dust everywhere. When the dust cleared, Ethan was disheartened to see that Pansage was still able to fight.

"Pansage, Fury Swipes!" Cilan cried, using his last resort move.

"Dragon Rage and finish this off, Deino!" Ethan countered.

The two Pokèmon executed their attacks at the exact same time. Pansage jumped and dived down as it struck Deino. However, Deino managed to fight through the pain and exhaled searing hot flames which struck Pansage directly. The grass-type Pokèmon shrieked and howled too. The stage suddenly disappeared in a cloud of dust and flame. When the dust cleared, there was one Pokèmon still standing. The other one hit the ground with an almighty _thunk_, totally and utterly defeated.

The waitress raised her hand for the third and final time…

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**


	15. Chapter 15: The Next Step

Chapter 15: The Next Step

"Pansage, Fury Swipes!" Cilan cried, using his last resort move.

"Dragon Rage and finish this off, Deino!" Ethan countered.

The two Pokèmon executed their attacks at the exact same time. Pansage jumped and dived down as it struck Deino. However, Deino managed to fight through the pain and exhaled searing hot flames which struck Pansage directly. The grass-type Pokèmon shrieked and howled too. The stage suddenly disappeared in a cloud of dust and flame. When the dust cleared, there was one Pokèmon still standing. The other one hit the ground with an almighty _thunk_, totally and utterly defeated.

The waitress raised her hand for the third and final time in Ethan's direction. "Pansage is unable to battle, which means that the winner is Ethan!"

One moment of shock and then the crowd were up on their feet, cheering and chanting Ethan's name. Ethan was still registering the shock of the moment. He had won. He'd won his first Gym Badge! He rushed forward to hug Deino. "We did it, Deino!" he exclaimed jubilantly. Deino growled in satisfaction. Ethan looked over at Riley who was on his feet, applauding and grinning from ear to ear. He pushed his way through the crowd to join Ethan up on stage. "Congratulations," he murmured. "I knew you'd do it this time."

Cilan withdrew his Pokè Ball as he recalled Pansage. "You did well, Pansage," he said. "I'm proud of how hard you fought today." He motioned to his two brothers to come up on stage. They did, and the three of them walked across the stage to Ethan.

"Congratulations on beating all three of us, Ethan," said Cilan. "That really was a very fun battle and I think I speak for my two brothers when I say that."

Cilli and Cress nodded in agreement.

"So," continued Cilan, "As proof of your victory today, I officially present you with the Trio Badge!" The waitress handed Cilan a box, which he then presented to Ethan. Ethan opened the lid and saw the tri-coloured badge that he recognised from Cheren's Badge Case a week ago. Ethan withdrew his own Badge Case from his backpack and gently placed it into its appropriate slot.

_One down_, thought Ethan, _seven to go_.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Now," said Cilan, rubbing his hands together, "Where will you be heading off to next?"

"Oh!" Ethan gasped, clapping his hand to his forehead as he realised that he hadn't checked his Town Map in days. He feverishly pulled it out of his backpack. Scanning it quickly, he could see that the nearest city was–

"Nacrene City," he read.

Cilli nodded. "If you go there next, you will find your second Pokèmon Gym. I highly recommend you make that your biggest priority now."

"Don't worry," smiled Cress, "I promise you that there's only one Gym Leader the next time around. You don't want any nasty surprises further down the track, do you?"

Ethan laughed in relief. "Thank God!"

"Although," mused Cilan, "From the way you battled today, I would say you'd have no trouble taking on multiple opponents. You're turning into quite the Trainer, Ethan."

"Wow, thanks!" Ethan replied bashfully. He shook hands with each of the Gym Leaders. Suddenly, he remembered. "Hey, just a quick question: did you battle a Trainer named Hilda the other day?"

"Why, yes, we did!" Cilan replied. "In fact, she challenged us about two days ago. She won, too."

"Aw, man," Ethan sighed. "I'm lagging behind, as always." He then explained that he was competing with four other friends to challenge all the Pokèmon Gyms.

"Don't let it bother you too much," Cress said comfortingly. "Different Trainers travel at different paces. You'll get into the swing of things soon enough. Then, maybe one day you'll be setting the pace for your friends."

"I sure hope so," Ethan replied wistfully. "Well, we'd better go now, or else we'll be even more behind than we already are."

"Take care!" said the brothers. Cilan pulled out his remote once more. Pressing the button, everyone in the room watched as the walls rose up out of the ground and the outdoor battling area became a family restaurant once more.

"Thanks," replied Ethan. He and Riley made their way through the calming crowd as they sat back down to have lunch. They gave one last wave to the brothers at the door, then farewelled the insane waitress, who had moved back to her desk at the front counter. She pulled out her microphone once more and called out, "Goodbye!" The customers screamed in protest as the mike screeched and wailed. Ethan and Riley knew that that was their cue to leave.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The two Trainers walked to the Pokémon Center. While Ethan was waiting for his Pokémon to heal, he decided to call Professor Juniper.

"Ethan! What a nice surprise!" she spoke as she smiled at him.

"H, Professor!" Ethan replied. "I was wondering if you could check my Pokédex for me and see how I'm going."

"Sure thing! I'll just collect look up your data now. Everything each Pokédex has recorded gets automatically sent to my computer so I can see how you're all doing," she explained. "Let's see… you've recorded data for 16 Pokémon. You're off to a good start!"

"Awesome! Also, I wanted to tell you that I've just won the Trio Badge at the Striaton Gym!"

"Really? That's wonderful!" exclaimed the Professor. "I'm so happy for you, Ethan. Are you heading for Nacrene City now?"

"You bet," replied Ethan. "I'm going to challenge the Pokémon Gym there as well."

"Well, good luck to you," said the Professor. "Actually, there's someone here who'd like to talk to you. I'm going to go now. Take care, Ethan."

"Sure thing, Professor."

Professor Juniper disappeared from the screen. Moments later, Cynthia's face filled the screen.

"Hey, cousin! How's it going?"

"Cynthia! Hi! Things are going great!" Ethan replied. It was great to be able to talk to Cynthia. It had been a while since they said goodbye back on Route 1.

"I heard you won your first Badge. Congratulations, I'm so proud of you!" She paused before speaking. "You know, everyone told me that I was dreaming when I said I wanted to become the Champion. If you're serious about it, you should go for it."

"Yeah, I've been doing some thinking and I'm going to give it a shot."

Cynthia smiled broadly. "Well, good for you! I know you'll do well."

Ethan hesitated for a moment. "Has… has anyone from Undella called?"

"Yes," sighed Cynthia. "Your parents called. They wanted to know how you were going."

"What did you tell them?" Ethan asked.

"What they wanted to hear," Cynthia replied. "What they don't know can't hurt them, after all."

Ethan sighed in relief. "Thanks for keeping it a secret."

"Hey, you're not the only one who's going to be in trouble here," smirked Cynthia. "I'm in this as much as you are!"

"Yeah, you're right," agreed Ethan and the two laughed.

"So," Cynthia said after a pause, "I guess I'd better let you get back to it."

"I'll call soon," promised Ethan. "Goodbye, Cynthia."

"Goodbye," she replied and then hung up.

"Who was that?" asked Riley, who had just returned from the bathroom.

"The Professor and Cynthia," Ethan replied. "Just a check-up call."

"I see," said Riley. He stared off into space for a few moments.

"Is… everything alright?" Ethan asked cautiously.

"Hmm?" Riley snapped out of his stupor. "Oh, yeah, everything's fine… Actually, there's something I have to tell you."

"What?" Ethan asked, now concerned.

"This is… difficult for me to say, but… I'm staying in Striaton City."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"You're… you're leaving?" Ethan asked. He was shocked. Why hadn't Riley mentioned this before? It was like something had suddenly come over him.

"Not forever!" Riley said quickly. "It's just that I'm going to challenge the Gym."

"How come you didn't you challenge them today?" Ethan was confused.

"Riolu and I aren't strong enough to make a challenge yet," Riley explained. "I was thinking that I would do some more training at the Trainers' School, rather than go all the way out to the Dreamyard."

"Well, OK then. If you want to challenge them, I'll stay with you until you've got that Badge!" Ethan said defiantly.

"Ethan, I could never ask you to do that for me," Riley replied. "You seem so down about being stuck behind your friends. I couldn't bear to watch you fall even further behind. You were so ready to leave for Route 3 as soon as we left the Gym. I couldn't do that to you. Not to a friend. And besides," he smiled slightly, "Those kids at the Trainers' School could really use my help, especially with that bully, Guy, around. I'd be doing a lot of good if I could train there as well as keep him in check." His smile turned back into a frown once more. "I'm not asking you to stay behind for me. I want you to keep going and catch up to your friends."

"But… but what about you?" Ethan asked desperately. "What if _you _never catch up to us?"

Riley smiled again. "Don't you worry about that. I won't be gone for long. Who knows? Depending on how well my training goes here, I could be back with you before you reach Nacrene City." He looked at Ethan seriously. "I promiseyou that we _will_ meet again."

Ethan paused before speaking. "This is your decision, so I won't stop you." He smiled as the two friends shook hands. "But you'd better get yourself back to us soon or else I'll kill you!"

Riley laughed. "I wouldn't have it any other way." He put his hand on Ethan's shoulder. "I hope that we meet again sooner rather than later."

"You bet," breathed Ethan. Without another word, Riley turned and walked over to the door of the Pokémon Center. A few moments later, he was gone from Ethan's life.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The nurse eventually returned with Deino and Rufflet, fully healed. Ethan took them both and placed the Poké Balls on his belt. "Well, guys, it looks like it's just us now," he murmured quietly to them. "There's no telling when we'll see Riley again." He looked out to the slowly sinking sun. There was still the afternoon to go; plenty of time to head out on to Route 3! Doing some final stocking up on supplies, Ethan left the Pokémon Center. He made his way through the busy streets of Striaton City for the final time. Taking in as much of the city as he could before he had to say goodbye, Ethan looked around at his surroundings. Pretty soon, he'd be trading buildings for branches as he headed out into the wild once more, this time, alone.

_Not alone_, he told himself. _With the two greatest partners anyone could ever ask for_.

Smiling to himself, Ethan Black took his final step in Striaton City and stepped on to Route 3.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Come on, Servine!" cried Cheren. "Strike back with Leaf Tornado!"

Servine began spinning on its head, tail up. It soon whipped up a small tornado that was sent hurtling towards the opponent's Servine.

"Finish this with Leaf Tornado, Servine," growled the other Trainer menacingly. This Servine did the same and countered Cheren's attack directly. The two Pokémon were evenly matched as the attacks collided, until–

"No!" Cheren gasped, as his Servine succumbed to the attack and collapsed on the ground in a heap. It was unable to battle.

"We win," said the other Trainer softly. "Such a shame. I was really looking forward to a proper battle. Not this pathetic, wishy-washy garbage that you call 'fighting'."

"Hey!" shouted Cheren. "Who are you to decide whose battling style is better?!"

"Didn't I just win?" asked the other Trainer condescendingly. "Against two of your Pokémon with only one of mine, I might add."

Cheren growled in frustration. "Come on! Let's have a rematch! I'll show you!"

"Sorry, but that's not how this works," chuckled the Trainer mockingly. "I won, fair and square. Honestly, if you hadn't made such a big deal about winning so many battles, I wouldn't be taking such pleasure in defeating you."

Cheren growled in frustration. "You… Just who do you think you are, anyway?!"

The Trainer smiled coldly before replying. "You went on and on about how much you _wanted_ to become the Champion, right?" the Trainer hissed sinisterly. "Well, guess what? I _am _the future Champion." The Trainer then began to walk away.

"Hey!" Cheren called out in anger. "Just so you know, if my friend were here battling with me, he would have _destroyed _you!"

"Hmm. Too bad he wasn't," replied the Trainer lazily, still walking away.

"I'm serious!" Cheren continued angrily. "His Deino would have taken your Pokémon down so easily that–"

"What did you say?" The Trainer hissed, frozen.

"I said that his Pokémon would have–"

"Did you just say _Deino_?" Turning around, the Trainer's eyes were filled with paranoia and concern.

"Yeah, I did!" Cheren smirked defiantly. "And his Deino is so strong, that–"

But the Trainer had suddenly run off, leaving Cheren on his own. The Trainer sprinted as fast as possible. _It can't be true_, the Trainer thought. _This Trainer's friend can't _possibly _have a Deino, could he? _What did this mean? The Trainer smirked ominously. _I think it's time this Trainer and his Deino met me!_

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

_End of Part 1: Three's A Crowd!_

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**


	16. Chapter 16: The Day Care Cup

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

_Part 2: Back to Basics _

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Chapter 16: The Day Care Cup

He soared higher and higher, his wings stretched out. The beautiful vista that was Route 3 lay before him. The trees were so close together that the path had all but disappeared from his view up here. In the distance, a large mountain towered above the treetops. Striaton City was far behind him. Looking up, he noticed the cloudless sky as the sun smiled down upon him. He dived downwards before levelling out and soaring upwards once again. It felt so liberating to be able to fly, if only for a short time.

"Rufflet!" cried a voice from far below. He knew it was time to land. Tucking in his wings, he descended gracefully, the tips of his wings brushing against the leaves as he touched the treetops. Finally, he came to rest on his master's outstretched arm, squawking softly.

"Good bird, Rufflet," murmured Ethan. "Did you enjoy that?"

Rufflet flapped his wings happily.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Since Riley's sudden departure, Ethan had been quite lonely. However, Deino and Rufflet thoroughly enjoyed being outside their Pokè Balls, so they kept him company as he made his way through the thick forest of Route 3. While Rufflet perched contentedly on Ethan's cap, Deino trotted along by his side, occasionally sniffing the ground for food. Although the Pokémon was blind, its sense of hearing and smell were enough for it to never stray from Ethan's side. They had stopped for lunch some time ago and were slowly but surely making their way towards Nacrene City. It had been some time since the route had been maintained; several of the signs were in disarray and Ethan had trouble deciphering the directions. It was times like these that his map came in handy.

"Now let's see here," Ethan said to his Pokémon as he checked his Town Map. "Hey, what's this? It looks like there's a Day Care Center not far from here!" Ethan recalled the name of the place from one of his conversations with Riley. Apparently, the Day Care helped raise Pokémon for their Trainers. On top of that, they took care of sick and injured Pokémon.

Ethan turned to Deino and Rufflet. "What do you think?" he asked, motioning to the Town Map, "Shall we check out this Day Care?"

Deino and Rufflet growled happily. Taking that for a yes, Ethan set off once more.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Soon after, the forest began to thin. Eventually, the trees had cleared and Ethan was surrounded by grassy green fields. A river trickled slowly beside him; it seemed to work its way down the route. To his right, Ethan spotted a log cabin. It was an emergency Pokémon Center. Since Rufflet and Deino had fought a few wild Pokémon on their journey here, Ethan decided to go inside. He handed them over to the nurse to be healed. While he waited, he walked over to the local bulletin board. The dozen people who were inside were all gathered around it.

"Excuse me," Ethan asked a nearby woman, "What's going on?"

"Oh, didn't you know?" replied the woman. "The Day Care Cup is on today."

"Day Care Cup?" Ethan repeated.

"Yes," she explained. "Every year, the Day Care hosts a tournament for local Trainers. If you win, you win a special prize. If you want to sign up, just fill out a registration form. They're on the bulletin board," she finished, pointing to the crowded bulletin board.

"Thanks," Ethan replied and lined up to fill out a registration form. It couldn't hurt to test out his Pokémon on the local talent. Besides, since he'd earned the Trio Badge, it was up to him to start seeking out challenges for himself and his team.

"Young man," called out the nurse some time later, "Your Pokémon are fully healed."

Ethan thanked her and retrieved his Pokémon. Outside, he noticed that most of the people inside the Pokémon Center had started making their way towards the Day Care. Ethan grinned and followed them. It wasn't too long of a walk. Soon after, the Day Care came into sight. There were dozens of people, all lining up to hand in their registration forms. The Day Care Center itself was rather small, but there was an extensive playground beside it. The building had been decorated with flags and banners. It seemed that the tournament was quite well-known amongst the locals. Ethan lined up and handed in his registration form. Once he was registered, he found an empty table nearby to sit. Observing everything around him, he couldn't help but feel excited by the atmosphere of the place. There were Trainers everywhere, interacting in groups of six or seven, showing off their Pokémon, showing off their Badges. It seemed that most people here had at least one Badge. He even thought he spotted a couple of Trainers with two Badges in their case. He didn't envy the thought of going up against one of them.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't even notice the young boy who wandered over to him. Looking up, Ethan smiled with delight when he saw that it was-

"Hilbert! Hey, how are you?"

Hilbert smiled. "Long time, no see, Ethan! I've been great. How about you? Have you got the Trio Badge yet? And where's Riley?"

"Oh!" Ethan gasped, pulling out his Badge Case. "Yeah, I won the Trio Badge yesterday. And Riley decided to stay back in Striaton City for a while. So I've been travelling on my own for a little while. Wait a minute," he realised, looking around, "Where's Hilda?"

"Hilda?" Hilbert replied. "Nah, she's off with Bianca," he explained, waving his hand dismissively. "I guess travelling with only your twin brother for company can get pretty tiring after a while." He snorted.

"Fair enough," said Ethan, shrugging his shoulders. "So, are you entering in the Day Care Cup?"

"Sure am!" Hilbert smiled. "Since I've got the Trio Badge, my Pokémon and I have been training real hard. I figured this was as good a place as any to test out my skills. Do you know what the catch to the tournament is?"

"Catch?" asked Ethan. "What do you mean?"

"You see that playground over there?" Hilbert pointed to the large playground Ethan had spotted when he had arrived. It was filled with climbing frames, slides and sandpits. "The battles will be held in the playground, where all the equipment can be used to turn the battle in your favour."

"Oh, I get it!" Ethan replied, comprehending. "So you could use the slides as a getaway or the climbing frame as a shield!"

"Exactly," agreed Hilbert.

"Your attention please!" cried a voice from a megaphone. The chatter subsided as the crowd gathered around a circular wooden table. An old man stood on top, holding a megaphone. "The Day Care Cup is about to commence. Now, as you are all aware, this tournament will contain sudden death battles. You will be allowed to use one Pokémon in your battle. If you lose, you are eliminated. If you are good enough to make it to the final round, you will participate in a two-on-two battle. The winner of that battle will take home this year's wonderful prize." He motioned to his wife, who stepped on to the table. She carried a crate, no doubt containing the prize. Opening the crate, she revealed the contents to the audience. It was a large rock, with a shape that looked something like a shell imprinted on it. The crowd gasped in surprise and awe.

"What's that?" Ethan asked Hilbert.

Hilbert smiled. "That is a Pokémon Fossil. They're incredibly rare. They can be resurrected an extinct Pokémon."

"Wow," breathed Ethan. The crowd seemed to think so too as they _ooh_ed and _aaa_hed at the Fossil.

"Now," continued the old man, "Let the tournament begin!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The thirty-two competing Trainers lined up as they waited for the first round matchups. Ethan's first opponent was a young girl. She sent out her Purrloin against Ethan's Rufflet. Purrloin delivered a wicked Fury Swipes to Ethan's Rufflet. However, using a combination of Scary Face and Fury Attack, Ethan soon put a stop to her Purrloin.

"Rufflet, finish with Wing Attack!" Ethan cried as Rufflet delivered the final blow. Purrloin fainted and the girl withdrew her Pokémon, scowling at Ethan as she stomped off.

Soon after, Hilbert successfully held off his opponent's Pansage with his Tepig. By the end of the first round there were only sixteen Trainers left. To their credit, the losing Trainers hung around to watch the end of the tournament.

"How'd you go?" Ethan asked Hilbert.

"Not bad," he replied, shrugging. "Her Pansage was tougher than it looked, but Tepig managed to outsmart it in the end."

The two lined up once more for their second round matchups. Every round, the line of Trainers grew smaller and smaller. But Ethan and Hilbert kept coming out on top. Soon, the sixteen had decreased to eight and then to four for the semi-finals. This time, Ethan was paired off against a menacing looking boy who was twice his size.

"Oh boy," gulped Ethan as the boy sent out his Pansear. Ethan decided to use Deino. However, defeating Pansear proved to be a difficult task, since it kept using the slide in the playground to block all of Deino's attacks. However-

"Deino! Chase it into the climbing frame!" cried Ethan, an idea coming to him. Deino began chasing after Pansear, who was trapped between the bars of the climbing frame. It shrieked as it realised it had fallen into Ethan's trap.

"No! Pansear!" cried the boy.

"Too late!" replied Ethan. "Deino, hit it with Dragon Rage!"

Deino's purple blast licked through the metal bars of the climbing frame and struck Pansear. The Fire-type Pokémon fainted.

"Alright!" Ethan scooped up Deino and gave the Pokémon a hug. Deino returned the hug with a lick to the face. As the boy marched off sullenly, Ethan realised that he was now in the final. He hung back with the crowd to watch the next semi-final match. The female Trainer fought valiantly, but she was no match for Hilbert's Tepig. As the crowd cheered, Hilbert joined Ethan as they were ushered over to the old man.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the old man announced into his megaphone, "Our two finalists will now take place in the final round of the Day Care Cup. The winner will receive not only a fabulous Pokémon Fossil, but the title of Day Care Champion!" The crowd cheered loudly.

"Now," continued the old man, "Let's not wait any longer. Let's begin the final battle!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Ethan and Hilbert were escorted to opposite sides of the playground where they stood opposite each other.

"I suppose you'll be using your other Pokémon now that Tepig's all tired out," Ethan called.

Hilbert nodded. "Certainly!" He withdrew a Pokè Ball. "Go, Patrat!"

Out from the Ball burst the small rat Pokémon. Ethan recognised it from Professor Juniper's battle with Cheren in Accumula Town. "Aright then," he countered, "Go, Rufflet! Let's see what you can do!"

Rufflet soared out of its Ball, squawking menacingly at Patrat.

The crowd was tense. The old man raised his hands. "Begin!"

"OK, Rufflet, start off with Wing Attack!" Ethan commanded.

"I don't think so," Hilbert taunted. "Patrat, use Detect!"

Rufflet spread out its wings as it dive-bombed towards Patrat. However, the rodent Pokémon was ready. Its eyes glowed yellow and it somersaulted out of the way, mere moments from Rufflet's attack. The Flying-type Pokémon wasn't so lucky. It hit the ground with a loud _crunch_.

"Rufflet!" Ethan cried out. "Are you OK?"

Slowly, Rufflet managed to get back up and resume its fighting stance.

"Good one, Rufflet," grinned Ethan, "Now, hit it with your Scary Face!"

Rufflet began to glare at Patrat. However, before the Pokémon could become paralysed with fear-

"Quick, Patrat," called Hilbert, "Dive into the sandpit!"

Patrat obeyed and somersaulted backwards into the nearby sandpit. After a few wild movements, it was completely buried beneath the sand.

"Damn," muttered Ethan. "OK, Rufflet, let's try a new approach. Try flapping your wings together to blow away some of the sand!"

Rufflet nodded and kicked up a gust of wind. The sand began to clear, but not before-

"Patrat, kick the sand up in Rufflet's face!" cried Hilbert. "Blind it!"

"What?!" exclaimed Ethan. He watched in horror as a stream of sand hit Rufflet square in the eyes. The bird Pokémon squawked in panic as it crashed to the ground, blinded.

"Didn't see that one coming, did you?" smirked Hilbert. "Patrat may be little, but he knows lots of tricks to trip you up."

Ethan growled in frustration. Here he was, being made a fool of, in front of a crowd of Trainers. They all seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Hilbert. Ethan could feel their condescending glares burning into his back. He quickly shook off the thoughts. He couldn't afford to mess up. Not now.

_Wait a second_, he thought to himself, _maybe there's something I can do to turn this battle around!_

"Patrat, Crunch!" Hilbert ordered. "Finish it off while it's down."

"Ha!" countered Ethan. "It's not going to be _that _easy, Hilbert. Rufflet, use Peck!"

Rufflet soared up into the air, wings outstretched. Suddenly, it corkscrewed vigorously down to earth, colliding with Patrat's exposed head. The attack had been so fast that the crowd barely had time to register what had happened.

Patrat tottered backwards and forwards for a few moments, but the attack had been too powerful. It hit the ground, unable to battle.

The old man raised his hand. "Patrat is unable to battle. The winner is Rufflet!"

The crowd applauded and cheered for Ethan. He smiled appreciatively.

Hilbert recalled his Patrat. "I'm impressed," he admitted. "That sure was a powerful move."

"You bet it is," Ethan replied. "So, are you ready for our next battle?"

"Let's do this," said Hilbert confidently. "OK, Tepig, you're up!"

Tossing the Ball into the air, Tepig burst out, shooting jets of flame from its nostrils.

"Hmm," Ethan murmured. "Rufflet, return! Have a rest."

Recalling Rufflet, Ethan swapped out his bird Pokémon for Deino. The Dragon-type Pokémon growled at Tepig, ready for battle.

The old man raised his hands once more. "Let the battle begin!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Tepig, Flame Charge!" Hilbert barked. Tepig's body was engulfed in flame as it ran full-pelt towards Deino.

"Deino, jump into the climbing frame to dodge it!" Ethan countered. Deino careered left into the safety of the metal climbing frame.

"Ha!" Hilbert laughed. "You've fallen right into my trap once again!"

"Wha-? Oh, crap!" Ethan cried, realising what he'd done. He'd fallen for the same trick he'd used in the semi-final. "Deino, get out of there!"

"Tepig, it's cornered. Use Ember," commanded Hilbert. Tepig nodded and shot several jets of flame from its mouth. Deino was trapped. Ethan could do nothing but watch as his Pokémon jumped up and down in pain as it was burned.

"Now, Tepig! Use Ember again!"

"Fight back with Dragon Rage, Deino!" Ethan cried out desperately. Several girls in the audience screamed as the two flame attacks collided. Clearly, both Pokémon were aiming to finish off the other in one attack. However, the two forces refused to yield to one another. The battle was now a test of endurance.

"Come on, Deino, focus!" Ethan called out to his Pokémon. The dragon was showing much clearer signs of fatigue; its flame was becoming weaker by the second. Tepig took advantage of this as its Ember attack surged towards Deino.

"You can do this, Tepig!" Hilbert cried. "Keep fighting until the end! Concentrate!"

Spurred on by the audience's chanting and its Trainer's calls, Tepig's attack grew more powerful still. Deino was all but spent and was about to receive the final blow. Suddenly, its eyes glowed blue.

"What?" Ethan gasped.

"What?' Hilbert cried.

"What?" the old man exclaimed.

Deino's eyes grew more vicious as it unleashed another surge of energy. Suddenly, its purple flames grew brighter and more powerful, surrounded by white rings.

Astonished, Ethan whipped out his Pokédex and scanned Deino. "Dexter, what move is that?"

Dexter beeped. _"Dragonbreath. Dragonbreath is a Dragon-type move that is a more powerful form of Dragon Rage."_

"Perfect!" cried Ethan. "Deino, unleash your Dragonbreath attack!"

Deino roared as its purple flame surged forward and engulfed Tepig's body. The Fire-type Pokémon howled and roared as it was struck by the powerful attack. At last, when the sand cleared, Tepig was on the ground, knocked out.

The old man raised his arm for the final time. "Tepig is unable to battle, which means that the winner of the Day Care Cup is Ethan Black!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The crowd were cheering once again. Ethan picked up Deino and gave him a hug. "You did it, Deino! I'm so proud of you!"

Deino growled softly in thanks. Smiling, Ethan recalled his Pokémon. He wandered over to Hilbert, who was comforting his Tepig. "Great battle, Hilbert. You did so well today. I could barely keep up."

Hilbert smiled. "It's no trouble. It just means that Tepig and I still have some more work to do before we take on the Nacrene City Gym. Besides, it was good fun battling you." He sighed. "Well, I guess I'd better make tracks. I've gotta get to Nacrene City to catch up with Hilda."

Ethan had a thought. "Well, if you wanted some company, can I tag along?"

Hilbert smiled. "Sure thing. The more, the merrier, I guess."

The old man and his wife walked up. "Excuse me. Here is your prize for winning today's tournament." His wife smiled as she presented the Fossil to Ethan.

"Wow. Thanks so much!" Ethan replied. The Fossil was quite heavy and extremely sturdy. "Um, what exactly do I _do _with this Pokémon Fossil, anyhow?"

"Are you headed for Nacrene City?" asked the old woman. "There's a museum there that specialises in Fossil restoration. If you ask, I'm sure they would happily resurrect that Fossil for you."

"OK, then. Thanks for the tip," said Ethan. "I'll be sure to visit when I get to Nacrene City. And thanks so much for organising the tournament today. It was great."

The old woman smiled kindly. "That's very kind of you." She gazed at him blankly for a moment. "You and your Pokémon are special, very special indeed. I will make sure not to forget you."

And with that enigmatic note, the old couple excused themselves.

"That was odd," commented Ethan. He looked at Hilbert for assistance, but he looked as bamboozled as Ethan. Shrugging off the moment, Ethan set off with Hilbert, the crowd giving him one last cheer before they dispersed.

"C'mon," said Hilbert. "If we hurry, we can get a good hour or two of walking before nightfall. The sooner we get to Nacrene City, the better."

Ethan nodded in agreement. The two Trainers set off on the road once more, as the last few Trainers headed home.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The Trainer stopped. He'd been walking all night and hadn't seen hide or hair of this Trainer and his Deino. Could that Cheren boy have been lying? But how would he have known about that Deino? Up ahead, he spotted a cluster of Trainers who had set up camp off the road. He walked past them, barely listening to what they were saying until-

"Did you see the way that Deino beat that kid's Tepig? Awesome!"

"I know! One minute the battle seemed all over, then the next… Wow!"

"One thing's for sure, it'll be a long time before we ever see the Day Care Cup get that exciting."

"Tell me about it."

The Trainer froze, thinking furiously. These Trainers had witnessed the Trainer and his Deino! There was no denying it now. Somewhere in Unova, a Trainer and his Deino were running loose.

And it was about time someone put a stop to it.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**


	17. Chapter 17: A Voice and a Vow

Chapter 17: A Voice and a Vow

The journey to Nacrene City was well and truly underway. Two days had passed since the Day-Care Cup took place. Ethan and Hilbert were making good progress towards the location of their second Gym challenge. Their Pokémon, Deino and Tepig, trotted alongside the Trainers, their little legs working furiously to keep up with the two boys.

"How far away do you think we are?" Ethan asked.

"Difficult to say," Hilbert mused, "since everywhere looks the same to me. We could be going in circles for all we know."

But they weren't going in circles. Thanks to the Town Map, along with Rufflet's scouting, the two Trainers were slowly but surely making their way to Nacrene City.

"God, all this walking gets boring after a while," sighed Ethan. "Imagine how much easier life would be if Unova was smaller."

"You think this is bad?" Hilbert replied. "This is nothing. I hear there are regions overseas that are even bigger!"

"You mean like Sinnoh?" Ethan asked curiously, thinking back to his first conversation with Riley, in which the boy had told Ethan about his hometown in the overseas land.

"Yeah, that's one of them," confirmed Hilbert. "Apparently, Unova is one of the smaller regions."

"_Smaller?_ But it's already so big!"

"Spare a thought for our poor Pokémon, why don't you?" smiled Hilbert. Ethan looked down at Deino and Tepig; the little Pokémon would need to work twice as hard to walk anywhere thanks to their small size.

"Wow, you're right," remarked Ethan. "Hey Deino, do you want to rest for a little bit? You're probably tired from all that walking."

Deino smiled gratefully and nodded. Ethan retrieved his Poké Ball. "Deino, return!" However, Deino shook its head. "Huh?" Ethan was confused and then gasped in realisation. "Oh, right!" He stooped down as Deino leaped up his back, resting on his head. The Pokémon was heavy but manageable. Ethan laughed.

Hilbert was impressed. "You and your Deino are pretty close, aren't you?"

Ethan looked up at Deino. "Yeah," he smiled, "I guess we are, aren't we, buddy?" Deino growled happily, his head bobbing side to side with Ethan's movements.

"I'm curious," continued Hilbert, "How exactly did you get Deino?"

Ethan hesitated. Apart from Cynthia, he hadn't told anyone from Nuvema Town about how he found Deino. Was it alright for people to know? He figured that it would be okay for Hilbert to know. He was more concerned about if strangers found out. Ever since Riley had told him about foreign and rare Pokémon, Ethan had become much more protective of Deino. What if someone tried to steal Deino? He made his decision. "I, er, got Deino back home in Undella Town. He was… a present from my parents before I came to Nuvema."

OK, so he hadn't told the whole truth. But he didn't want anyone finding out about the secret of the Abyssal Ruins.

Hilbert raised his eyebrows. "Wow, that's some present! A rare Pokémon like Deino, I mean."

"Yeah," Ethan laughed weakly. His thoughts were interrupted by a loud ringing. His cross-transceiver! He answered the call and smiled broadly as Cheren's face came into view. "Hi, Cheren! What's up?"

But Cheren didn't return his smile. On the contrary, he looked pale and flustered. "Ethan, listen to me, 'cause I don't have much time. You've got to get out of here _now!_"

"What?" Ethan was bewildered. "What're you talking about, Cheren? What's wrong?"

"What's up?" Hilbert asked, frowning.  
>Ethan held up his cross-transceiver. "It's Cheren. He's acting really weird all of a sudden. I don't know what's gotten into him."<p>

Hilbert placed out his hand. "Here, let me." Ethan handed him the cross-transceiver. "Cheren, it's me."

"Hilbert? Oh, thank God!" cried Cheren. "Please, you have to protect Ethan _no matter what_! Do you hear me? _No matter what!_"

Hilbert looked serious. Ethan was concerned. If Hilbert was unnerved, maybe something was really wrong.

"I'm serious, Hilbert!" Cheren continued. "There's this guy, this Trainer, a-and he's looking for Ethan!"

"Huh?" Ethan was even more confused, and a little frightened. "Who's looking for me? Why?"

"He battled me a few days ago and I lost," babbled Cheren. "I shouldn't have said it, Ethan. I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry about it, I didn't mean to, but-"

"What did you say?" Ethan asked, now concerned. "Cheren, _what happened?_"

Cheren gulped and paused before speaking. "I… I accidentally talked about you and your Deino and he ran off straight away."

Ethan paused, utterly confused now. "O…K. I'm not sure what the problem is, Cheren."

"Listen to me!" Cheren hissed. He looked wild now, with eyes wide. "Last night, I came across a group of Trainers. Apparently, there was this guy who's been looking all over for this Trainer and his Deino. They said… Ethan, _they told me he's going to try and-_"

But Cheren never finished his sentence. He looked up and gasped. Suddenly, the screen turned black and all Ethan and Hilbert could hear was a loud rustling and Cheren's yells.

"_Ethan! Run!"_

Suddenly, there was silence. Ethan whirled around to Hilbert in fear. Who was this person? What did he want with Deino? And what had happened to Cheren?

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Suddenly, a voice came from the cross-transceiver. It was low and menacing and it made Ethan's skin crawl.

"I'm afraid your little friend is unable to speak with you right now. However, I'm perfectly happy to chat. That is, if you don't mind."

The cross-transceiver was positioned away from the speaker, so Ethan couldn't see his face. He opened his mouth to reply, but Hilbert spoke first. "Listen to me, you asshole, what have you done to my friend?" he hissed angrily into the cross-transceiver.

The voice sighed. "Let's not descend into name-calling, shall we? I'd much prefer to keep our conversation civil, if you please. Now, whoever this is, I hope you're paying close attention because I will not repeat myself. I know where you are. I have been scouring Route 3 for several days now and I've heard of your recent endeavours at the Day Care tournament. It seems that I've been fortunate in locating what I have been searching for."

"You mean my Deino!" fired up Ethan. He couldn't stay silent any longer. "I don't know who you are, but you're not getting your filthy hands anywhere _near _my Pokémon, do you hear me?!"

The person on the other end of the line paused for a moment before speaking. "Your obstinacy will be your downfall. Rest assured, I _will _find you and I will take what I have come to take. You can fight all you want, but in the end, I will win. Your friend found _that_ out the hard way when he lost to me in a Pokémon battle. I hope you won't be as foolish when we meet."

"Who the hell are you, anyway?" Ethan spat.

The voice sighed once more. "Alright, then," he said, before hanging up. The screen turned to blank, but Ethan could hear the voice loud and clear from behind him. "My name is Chris, and mark my words: you _will _give me what I want."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

He emerged from the nearby bush. His hair was jet black and short. His narrow eyes bored holes into Ethan. His entire outfit was silver, except for the black cross that hung from his neck. He must have been 16, 17 tops. He walked purposefully towards Ethan and Hilbert, never taking his eyes off the Pokémon that was curled up on Ethan's hat.

"I told you I would find you," Chris' low voice came across the field clearly. "Now, why don't you do us both a favour and hand over the Deino without fuss?"

"Why don't you tell me what this is all about?" Ethan retorted.

"All in good time," Chris replied calmly. "Now, I don't believe you introduced yourselves to me. What are your names?"

"Hilbert," said Hilbert coldly.

"Ethan Black," added Ethan.

"Very good," smiled Chris. "Now, I guess you want to know why you will hand over your Deino to me. It's quite simple. If you don't release your Deino, things will end badly for you. I don't want to have to hurt you. But if you continue to resist, I will have to resort to extreme measures."

"You want my Deino, huh?" Ethan sneered. "Well, you're out of luck, because he's _my _Pokémon and I'm not giving him up to _anyone_, least of all _you_!"

Chris sighed wistfully in defeat, although the mocking smile on his face suggested otherwise. "Ethan, I'm afraid you just don't understand. But I can help you. If you give me Deino, I can explain _everything_."

Ethan was bewildered. Who _was _this guy? "I don't know who you are, Chris, or what you know, but I'm not giving up my Deino!" he said fiercely as he grabbed Deino and cradled the whimpering Pokémon under his arm.

Chris frowned. "You won't give him up? Fine, then. It seems that the only way to teach you a lesson is through the way you idiot Trainers solve things: a battle."

"You're on!" Ethan retaliated forcefully. He was surprised that Hilbert wasn't holding him back. It seemed that the twin was just as intent on seeing Chris beaten as he was. After all, God knows what he'd done to Cheren. Speaking of which-

"Hilbert! Cheren must be nearby!"

"I'm on it!" replied Hilbert, and he bolted towards the bush where Chris had emerged.

Chris shook his head. "Your friend's loyalty is admirable. But it won't save you." He smiled as he tossed out a Poké Ball. "Servine, let's teach this Trainer a lesson!"

Out from the Poké Ball burst a green snake-like Pokémon with small arms and legs. A large 'V' extended from its chest over its shoulders. It looked just like Cheren's Snivy! Ethan whipped out his Pokédex.

"_Servine, the Grass Snake Pokémon. Servine is the evolved form of Snivy and whips its opponents with vines. Servine can avoid attacks by hiding in thick foliage."_

And at last, Ethan understood. He remembered back to that day in Nuvema Town, when Cheren had picked Snivy as his first Pokémon. _"An excellent choice,"_ Professor Juniper had said, _"The boy from yesterday picked Snivy too! He seemed to be quite the knowledgeable young man. Like you, in a way." _Ethan thought she was talking about Riley, but-

"You- you're the sixth Trainer from Nuvema Town!" Ethan gasped, pointing a finger at Servine.

Chris smiled wickedly. "At last! The penny drops! I still can't believe your friend Cheren didn't realise it when I battled him."

"But... but you're just a new Trainer!" Ethan spluttered. "How can you-?"

"I may only have one, but I've been studying Pokémon for years," Chris interrupted flatly. "Just because I'm starting out now doesn't make me an idiot. I have _quite _a vast knowledge of Pokémon already, you know. The Professor herself noticed it. She said I 'showed promise'. It was incredibly easy to fool her into giving me a Pokémon. But that's enough from me," he smirked. "Let's get on with our battle, shall we?"

"Alright, then," muttered Ethan. "Deino! Take him down!"

Deino leapt from Ethan's arms and landed on the ground. He roared at Servine, who hissed back in response.

"You won't find me as _pedestrian_ as other Trainers you've battled," Chris called out tauntingly. "I have my own methods when it comes to batting. Servine, Growth!"

Servine's body glowed green as it expanded. It was growing taller and wider. When the light disappeared, it was nearly twice the size of Deino.

"We've faced tougher than this!" Ethan shot back. "Deino, Headbutt!"

Deino growled and charged straight at Servine with the new move it had learned yesterday. However, Chris seemed unfazed.

"Servine, Slam," he said simply. Servine hissed and charged at the oncoming Deino with its own attack. At the last minute, however-

"Now, Servine!" Chris barked. Servine used its tail to bounce into the air and come back down to earth towards Deino, without losing any momentum.

"Dodge it, Deino!" Ethan cried out in response, but Servine's attack struck. Deino tottered for a few moments, its head throbbing from the direct attack.

"Why are you fighting me, Ethan?" Chris asked condescendingly. "You know that once the battle's over, I'll take Deino off you. With force, if necessary."

"You talk a big game, Chris," replied Ethan bravely, "But you really don't like the idea of me having a Deino, do you? Does the idea scare you?"

His words cut deep. A snarl flashed across Chris' face, but was quickly replaced by a dismissive shrug of the shoulder and a shake of the head. "Very well. If you want to have a battle of wits, I'm game."

But Ethan wasn't listening. If he could just keep Chris talking for long enough, maybe Hilbert would come back with Cheren, and…

Actually, he had no idea what would happen once Hilbert and Cheren came back. But at least he'd have his friends. And a friend is what he needed right now, because he was in the middle of the fight of his life!

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Cheren!"

Hilbert called out his friend's name for what seemed like the umpteenth time in this forest. Chris couldn't have been _that_ far away on the cross-transceiver. Cheren should be close by.

"Ch-!"

He cried out once more, but stopped. In the distance, he could hear noises. Loud yelling and growling. Ethan must have started his battle with Chris. _Come on, Ethan_, Hilbert thought to himself. _You can't lose this._

After a moment, he stopped listening to the sounds of the battle and resumed the search for his friend. A loud squeaking noise told him that Patrat and Tepig had returned from their search of the area. "Guys! Did you find anything?"

Tepig and Patrat looked at the ground sadly. Hilbert understood. They'd had as much luck as him. He continued moving between the trees, calling out for his lost friend.

"Cheren!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Servine! Slam once more!" Chris ordered.

"Brace yourself, Deino!" Ethan assured his Pokémon.

"I see what you're doing," Chris taunted. "Waiting for my Pokémon to attack before striking at the last minute. Nice try, Ethan, but you'll have to do better than _that_. Servine!" he called. "Stop your attack and dive into the bush!"

"What?" Ethan breathed as the Grass-type Pokémon rolled into the nearby bushes. The bush was very thick; the Pokémon was completely camouflaged! "Deino, keep your distance! We don't know what it's about to do!"

"Wise move," sneered Chris, "but it won't do you much good. Servine, Leaf Tornado!"

From within the bushes emerged a large gust of wind. It circled as it approached Deino with lightning-fast speed.

"Deino, roll out of the way!" Ethan commanded. Deino dived and missed the tornado at the last second. He had successfully evaded Chris' attack.

"Nice try," countered Chris, "But we still have the advantage. Servine, use Mega Drain on that tornado! Absorb its energy!"

Ethan watched in shock as the Leaf Tornado attack gradually disappeared, its energies streamed back into the bush, no doubt being absorbed into power for Servine's next attack.

"OK, Deino!" Ethan cried triumphantly. "Now's your chance! Headbutt that bush now!"

Deino charged head-first towards the bush.

"Wrong move," Chris snapped back, "Servine, unleash an even more powerful Leaf Tornado!"

The trees nearby rustled as another gust of wind was whipped up. This time, the tornado was even bigger and was headed straight for Deino!

"Got you," whispered Ethan. "Deino, use Dragonbreath! Aim through the tornado at Servine!"

Chris lost his composure, completely disarmed. Deino roared as it unleashed purple flames that burned through the Leaf Tornado attack, reducing the tornado to a mere gust of wind. But it didn't stop there. Deino's attack was so powerful that it shot right through the centre of the tornado and set the bush alight. It burned fiercely as Servine shrieked. Eventually, the bush had burned to a crisp and Servine emerged severely bruised, but still able to battle.

"A clever move," admitted Chris, who had regained his composure. "I must admit, I hadn't expected such a bold strategy. Nevertheless, my Servine is still able to fight, so this battle is far from over."

"You've got that right," muttered Ethan under his breath. Sure, he'd gotten one over Chris, but he and Deino still had a long way ahead of them if they wanted to stop Chris.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

He was unconscious, curled up in a thick bush. Chris had been rough with him, since there were cuts all over his legs and arms from the plants. It took a few blasts of Tepig's Ember attack to clear away the bush. By this time, Cheren had come to. "Where… where am I?"

"Cheren, it's me, Hilbert. Listen, we've got to get back now! Ethan's in the middle of a battle with Chris and he's about to lose his Deino!"

Cheren gasped, his memory catching up. He slowly steadied himself as he eventually got up. "Let's go," he said simply and the two boys bolted back to the field, Tepig hurrying along in their wake.

"How did you find me?" Cheren asked as they ran.

"Chris knocked you out and found us pretty quickly. I figured that he must've been nearby," replied Hilbert.

"It's my fault, Hilbert!" Cheren moaned. "If I'd just kept my mouth shut about Ethan, he wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Accidents happen!" Hilbert assured him. "I doubt Ethan blames you either."

"I hope he's OK! That Chris guy is better than any Trainer I've ever battled. He actually beat me!" Cheren said apprehensively.

"Well, you'd best hope that he's not doing the same thing to Ethan right now!" Hilbert answered." Now, come on! We have to get back before- What the _hell _was that?!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Deino, keep at it! Don't let him throw you off guard!" Ethan warned his Pokémon. Deino growled, maintaining its fierce battle stance.

"You and your Pokémon have fought admirably, Ethan," drawled Chris, "But this can only end one way, Ethan. You know what has to happen."

"Never," Ethan said resolutely. "I'm not losing Deino and I'm not about to lose this battle! Deino, Dragonbreath!"

"Servine, strike back with Leaf Tornado!"

The two attacks collided once again. However, Deino's attack had lost some of its power. Eventually, they both lost energy.

"Deino, stop!" Ethan cried.

"Stop your attack, Servine!" barked Chris.

The two Pokémon stared at each other exhaustedly; the battle was at a stalemate.

"It seems," murmured Chris, "that we have reached an impasse."

"Looks like it," Ethan agreed shortly. He hated having to listen to this guy! "So… ready to give up yet?"

Chris paused before speaking. "Intriguing. I've never met anyone with such courage and dedication to a lost cause. You certainly are persistent, aren't-?"

"Just shut up and battle me!" Ethan cut across. He'd had enough. "God, do you have to be so pretentious all the time? Either cut the crap and face me like a man, or walk away and never bother me or my friends again!"

He'd touched a nerve. Chris glowered. The look he gave Ethan was deadly. "So you can talk the talk. But can you put your money where your mouth is and show me how it's done? What makes _you _so different from any other Pokémon Trainer?"

"This!" Ethan countered fiercely. "Deino, unleash your Dragonbreath!"

"Servine, counter it with-!"

But Chris never finished his sentence, for a large rumbling sound stopped him. Ethan looked down and felt the very earth begin to move. He struggled to keep his balance. It couldn't be. Not now! An earthquake?

The rumbling suddenly grew more violent. Ethan was caught off-balance and stumbled. As he hit the ground, his head smacked hard against a large rock. The world grew dim as he lay sprawled in the dirt. He was blacking out! In desperation, he stretched out a hand with a Poké Ball. "Deino…. return…"

The Dragon-type Pokémon vanished inside the Poké Ball in a burst of white light.

The last thing he felt was the warm blood that dripped down the back of his head.

The last thing he saw was two boys emerging from the nearby forest, sprinting towards him.

The last thing he heard was a voice in his ear. "This isn't over," it hissed.

His eyes closed. He blacked out.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

_A/N:_

_Hope you enjoyed this chapter. As you can see, we've got a new rival for the story. However, this one will be a little different to other rivals, but you'll learn more about that later on. Be on the watch for the next few chapters, I've got a great story planned for the rest of Part 2. Read, review and feel free to PM, since I'm always available. _


	18. Chapter 18: Forgive Us Our Trespasses

Chapter 18: Forgive Us Our Trespasses…

_All he could hear were echoed voices. He could barely distinguish what they were saying, murmurs or otherwise. He concentrated, listening out for a voice he recognised._

_And then he heard one._

"-don't know how else to say sorry, Bianca!"

_That voice! It struck a chord in his memory, though his mind was still foggy. What had happened? He was travelling with Hilbert, they got a call from Cheren about something, there was that battle with-_

His eyes flew open as he sat upright with full clarity. "Where's Chris?" he gasped, looking around wildly for any sign of the young man who had tried to seize his Pokémon.

He felt a pair of hands on his back. Terrified, he began turning his head to face the boy. Only it wasn't Chris. The hands were gentle.

"Easy," said the girl soothingly. "Just slowly lie down. You don't want to hurt yourself again."

Ethan did as he was told and rested his head against the soft thing that had been placed underneath it. Come to think of it, his head was throbbing terribly. He could feel some dried blood. That must have been from when he hit the rock.

Lying back down, he looked up at Hilda. It had been her hands on his back. Looking around, he could see that they were all there: Hilbert, Hilda, Cheren and Bianca.

"W… why are you all here?"

"Hilbert called me and Bianca after he and Cheren found you. What happened?"

"Um…" began Ethan, trying to turn his thoughts into words, "I was in the middle of a fight with Chris and… there was some kind of… earthquake or something. Did you guys feel it too?"

Hilda nodded. "There were a few aftershocks while you were unconscious. It's almost passed, though. Who's Chris?"

"This guy, he… he wanted to-" Ethan tried to say, but Hilbert continued for him.

"There was this Trainer, Hilda. He attacked Cheren and tried to steal Ethan's Deino. Apparently, he's been searching around for Ethan for some time now."

"Which wouldn't have happened if _someone_ had kept their mouth shut!" came an angry voice. Bianca was glaring at Cheren, who opened his mouth in protest, but looked apologetically at Ethan. "Honestly, Cheren, this whole thing wouldn't have happened if you hadn't gone and told him."

"How was I supposed to know he was going to try and steal Deino?!" protested Cheren. "I was angry, alright? I'd just lost to him!"

"You guys… don't need to argue," Ethan murmured slowly. "He would have… found out about me anyway. I battled with Deino… at the Day Care Cup." He eased himself into a sitting position. Hilbert handed him Deino's Poké Ball. Ethan accepted it gratefully, stowing it under his belt.

"So… what happened, Ethan?" Hilbert asked. "After I found Cheren in the forest, we came back as fast as we could. By the time we got back though, the earthquake had struck, Chris had gone and you were unconscious."

"You… would have been close," answered Ethan. "Right after the earthquake hit, I tripped and hit my head on a rock. He must have… run away when he saw you two come back."

"Oh." Hilbert nodded in understanding. "I wondered why he didn't try and steal Deino after you were knocked out."

"Never mind that now!" said Bianca impatiently. "We've got to make sure that everyone's alright!"

"What… what do you mean?" asked Ethan, puzzled.

"The earthquake started in Wellspring Cave, Ethan," answered Hilda.

"Wellspring Cave? What's that?" he asked.

She pointed to the large mountain that towered over the trees. It had been in Ethan's sight since his travels on Route 3. "Oh, right."

"There were some Trainers inside when the earthquake struck," explained Hilda. "Bianca and I didn't have time to look around, since we were looking for you three."

"We should go," said Ethan firmly. The others opened their mouths in protest, placing out their hands to lie him down. "Don't worry about me," he assured them. "I'll try and keep up. It's more important that we check everyone's OK."

The others hesitated for a moment. Finally, Hilbert nodded. "Your call. Let's go, then."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Wellspring Cave wasn't too far away. With Ethan slowly recovering, the five Trainers made the walk in about twenty minutes. The cave was surrounded by large rocky walls that were shaped like a bowl. A large crowd of people gathered outside the entrance. The area was sectioned off and several officials were standing guard outside the cave.

"This doesn't look good," said Bianca. She waved down one of the men standing guard. "Excuse me. What's happened here?"

"We're evacuating a group of Trainers who were inside during the earthquake," he answered. "Plus, it's routine practice to make sure all the Pokémon inside are OK. No injuries reported. We should be done soon."

"I see," replied Bianca. She turned to the others. "What now?"

"It doesn't look like there's much we can do here," replied Hilbert.

"Well, since everything's being taken care of, why don't we head on to Nacrene City?" Cheren suggested. "The next Gym is there and I want to make a challenge as soon as I get there."

Hilda sighed. "I guess we might as well keep going. There's nothing else to see here, anyway."

"I don't mind," agreed Ethan. "We might as well go on. We're pretty close to Nacrene City, right?" he asked Bianca. She pulled out her Town Map and scanned it for a few moments before answering. "According to the map, Wellspring Cave is the last stop before Nacrene City, so I'd say we're not that far off." She looked at the setting sun. "If we start walking now, we should get there before nightfall."

"Sounds good to me," Cheren said, shrugging his shoulders. "Shall we head off then?"

"Hang on," Hilbert interrupted. "What's that?" He pointed over to the entrance of the cave, where a small Pokèmon had poked out its head. Its body was blue and it had stubby little brown legs made of rock.

"Look!" Bianca gasped. "There are more of them!"

Indeed, several of these Pokèmon had begun to emerge from the mouth of the cave into the sunlight. The people gathered around started pointing and murmuring. One of them approached the five Trainers.

"Well, hello!" Hilbert smiled as he picked up one. "What's your name?"

"I know what that is!" Cheren said in delight. "It's a Roggenrola!"

"Roggenrola?" Ethan muttered. He unzipped his backpack as he pulled out his Pokédex. It beeped for a moment before speaking.

"_Roggenrola, the Mantle Pokémon. The hexagonal shape on its body is actually its ear. Its body is as hard as steel and contains an energy core inside."_

Roggenrola jumped from Hilbert to Ethan. It squeaked as it examined him. However, Ethan hadn't been prepared for it and jumped. Something fell out of his unzipped backpack and fell on the ground.

"What's that?" Bianca asked.

"It's a Fossil," Ethan answered, bending down to pick it up. "I won it at the Day Care Cup."

Before he could pick it up, however, Roggenrola snatched it up and darted away.

"Hey!" Ethan cried. "Give that back!"

But Roggenrola had already scurried back towards the cave's entrance. Ethan gave chase, pushing his way through the crowd.

"Ethan, wait!" cried Hilda.

But Ethan ignored her. The Roggenrola were all converging together, retreating inside the cave as one, but he kept his eyes on the Roggenrola that was balancing his Fossil on its body.

"Hey!" barked one of the officials. "Get back here!"

It took Ethan a moment to realise that he'd broken through the crowd and was in the sectioned off area. Two more officials began chasing after Ethan.

"I need to get my Fossil back!" Ethan tried to explain while running. He didn't dare take his eyes off the Roggenrola. So he didn't notice the rock jutting up from the ground. He felt a slight tug on his shin before the ground rushed up to meet him. His torso hit the ground first, closely followed by his chin. There was a slight moment of numbness before he roared with pain, swearing obscenities at whoever had yanked him up by the arms.

"What's wrong with him?" asked one of the guards. They had finally stopped running and were now scratching their heads at Ethan, slightly disturbed by his sudden outburst.

Hilbert, who had picked up Ethan, replied. "He… has this thing with rocks. Not a huge fan of them." Ethan would have hit him if his arms weren't restrained. The throbbing pain in his jaw was slowly dulling to an ache, but it was still tender. He thanked God that all of his teeth were still intact. Looking over at the cave, he saw that the Roggenrola had disappeared. He cursed again at the loss of his Fossil.

"Hey, you mind keeping it down?" snapped the guard. "There are kids here."

Ethan nodded bitterly, keeping his insults to a low mutter.

"Anyway," Hilbert began, "I'm really sorry about this. My friend doesn't usually do things like this. He was just chasing after the Roggenrola that stole his Pokèmon Fossil."

"That may be," replied the guard sternly, "But you and your friend are trespassing. I've every right to cart the both of you down to the station in Nacrene City."

"That won't be necessary!" Hilbert interrupted swiftly. "We didn't mean any harm by this. We just wanted to catch the thief to this… uh… vicious crime," he finished lamely.

The guard raised his eyebrows doubtfully. "Your friend got his rock taken by another rock. I wouldn't exactly call that theft."

"Well," Hilbert replied uncertainly, "To each his own, I guess. All I'm saying is that… uh… we should just… agree to disagree?"

The guard's eyebrows raised even higher, if that was possible. Ethan would have shaken his head in exasperation, if the pain didn't kill him.

"Look, you two are obviously... special," said the guard carefully. "I'm just going to walk away and pretend like this never happened. I suggest you do the same."

"Uh, thanks, I guess," answered Hilbert. The two guards walked away and went back to restricting the area.

"'Vicious crime'?" Ethan murmured mockingly.

"You try and do better than that," Hilbert snapped under his breath. "So, what do we do now?"

"That depends," said Ethan. "Are you going to head back into the crowd, or are you going to help me get my Fossil back?"

Hilbert looked up. They were both underneath the mouth of the cave.

"If we're fast," Ethan muttered, "we can get inside before anyone notices."

"You're crazy!" Hilbert hissed back. "This is insane! This is illegal!"

Ethan could have laughed. Three weeks ago, he would never have put himself and any of those words in the same sentence. _If my parents could see me now_, he thought in mock disapproval. "C'mon," he said, grabbing Hilbert by the arm and darted behind a large rock. Hilbert opened his mouth to object but Ethan had already led him inside.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Wellspring Cave was a well-visited tourist attraction, which meant that there were plenty of signs placed around the cave. They weren't likely to get lost. It was dark inside, but they both had flashlights. All the while, Ethan listened out for the familiar squeaking noises of the Roggenrola.

"You know they could be anywhere, right?" Hilbert asked. "We'll have a hard time trying to find this Fossil. For all we know, they might have dropped it along the way."

Ethan shook his head. "They wouldn't have left it behind. Not after the trouble it took to steal it."

They continued walking in silence. Soon, the silence grew deafening and the two boys sent out their Pokèmon for company. Deino trotted along happily with Tepig and Patrat, while Rufflet circled Ethan's head.

"Strange," Hilbert remarked.

"What's strange?" Ethan asked.

Hilbert pointed to his Pokèmon. "My Pokèmon don't seem to be enjoying the darkness as much as Deino."

He was quite right. Tepig and Patrat moved uncertainly and seemed very agitated. On the other hand, Deino was perfectly happy to be walking around in the darkness. Ethan understood immediately.

"Deino's blind. He can probably sense that we're in a dark cave. I think he's just glad that we're kind of like him now." He motioned to the weak glow of the flashlights. It seemed that they were in almost as much darkness as Deino.

Hilbert nodded, impressed. Ethan felt a surge of pride at this, though he couldn't figure out why.

"Wait a minute." Hilbert stopped, looking around. "Can you hear that?"

Ethan strained his ears. Sure enough, in the distance, he could hear faint squeaking sounds.

"We're close," he said and they set off, moving faster this time. As their walk turned into a slow run, the squeaking noises became louder and clearer. It wasn't until they rounded a final corner that they found themselves in a much larger tunnel. The Roggenrola had gathered around the center of the cave. Upon seeing Ethan and Hilbert, they backed up against the Fossil until it was protected on all sides.

"Give that back to me," Ethan muttered dangerously. Due to the darkness of his surroundings, he wanted to avoid a fight. However, the Roggenrola stood vigil. Their stances said it all: _no_.

"Deino, get ready to fight," he called to the dragon. Deino snarled and shot small jets of purple fire out of its nose.

"Hang on!" Hilbert gasped. "What's that one doing?"

He pointed to one of the Roggenrola, who had broken formation and was approaching the boys. Ethan assumed that it was the same one that had stolen his Fossil. He stepped forward, providing a barrier between Deino and the Rock Pokèmon. "I don't want to fight you," he said as calmly as possible. "I just want my Fossil and go. Is that alright?"

Roggenrola responded with silence. It had, however, stopped advancing. Ethan took that as progress and continued speaking. "That earthquake scared you, didn't it? Is that why you guys came outside before?"

"Ethan," warned Hilbert, "What are you trying to do?" He gazed anxiously at the formation of Roggenrola, preparing to strike if need be.

"I know you didn't mean to steal my Fossil," Ethan continued, ignoring Hilbert tugging on his sleeve. "But I promise that I didn't steal it. I _won_ it."

Roggenrola squeaked. It seemed that it was understanding, or at least acknowledging, Ethan's words, so he kept speaking. "Have you seen it before? Is that why you took it? Did it come from here? Or are there more Fossils buried here?" Throwing caution the winds, he reached out a hand to touch Roggenrola. "If you give it back to me, I promise I'll take care of it."

His hand had almost touched Roggenrola's body when it squeaked and scurried back towards the rest. He withdrew his hand quickly. "What did I do?"

"Ethan, let's just get out of here!" Hilbert exclaimed. "Before they start attacking us-!"

But Ethan was gazing at the Roggenrola. It seemed to be talking to the rest, squeaking away. It appeared that they were negotiating whether or not to give the Fossil back.

All of a sudden, the pack of Roggenrola attacked the one who had spoken to Ethan. They shot small blasts of rock at it, sending it sprawling in the ground.

"Stop it!" Ethan exclaimed. "He's one of you!" He waved frantically at them, but they weren't listening. He turned to Deino. "Deino, I'm going to need your help." Deino nodded and snarled once more. "Alright, now use Dragonbreath!"

Deino roared as it breathed purple flames, sending them straight for the Roggenrola. They responded immediately, changing their attacks from Roggenrola to Deino.

"Patrat, follow up with Hypnosis!" Hilbert commanded. "Put as many to sleep as you can!"

Patrat's eyes glinted as they begun to spin, drawing in four of the Roggenrola. Slowly but surely, they began to fall asleep, squeaking softly.

However, they were still outnumbered. At least ten Roggenrola stood between them and the Fossil.

"Deino, keep at it!" Ethan barked. "Rufflet, fly over there and snatch up the Fossil!"

Rufflet squawked as it soared over their heads, diving down. It stretched out its wings as it made to grab the Fossil, but-

"Watch out!" Hilbert cried out. One of the Roggenrola had seen Rufflet coming and shot another Rock Blast attack. Rufflet was struck off-guard and dropped like a stone, hitting the ground with a crunch.

"Damn," cursed Ethan. "We'll have to come up with another strategy. Rufflet, return!" he called as he held out a Pokè Ball. Rufflet squawked weakly as it withdrew. "What do we do now?" he asked Hilbert desperately.

But the attacked Roggenrola answered Ethan's question for him. It had finally gotten up and began firing rock missiles, not at Ethan and Hilbert, but at the other Roggenrola.

The Roggenrola let their guard down for a moment and Hilbert wasted no time. "Patrat," he exclaimed, "Use Hypnosis again!"

Patrat lulled the remaining Roggenrola to sleep. They rolled over and joined the other sleeping Pokèmon. Ethan darted over to the Fossil and picked it up, stuffing it inside his backpack once more. He turned to Hilbert. "Now what?"

"We'd better find our way back," answered Hilbert. "With any luck, we'll run into the others who were being evacuated."

Ethan snorted. "What, and get arrested as soon as get out of here?"

"You want to wait the police out?" Hilbert asked doubtfully. "Besides, I seem to recall it was _your_ idea to come here."

There was no malice in his words, but Ethan was still taken aback. He was speechless because Hilbert was right. _Great plan_, he told himself, _now what're you going to do?_

He cleared his throat decisively. "Alright. Have it your way, then. Let's find the others and get out of here." He made to go.

"Wait," Hilbert said softly. He turned to look pitifully at the injured Roggenrola, who was whimpering softly. "Poor little guy," he said sadly. "He was standing up for us and they turned against him like that."

"Well, he _did _steal my Fossil," Ethan remarked. "Come on, let's go before the others wake up!"

But Hilbert didn't move. "We can't leave him here, Ethan," he said sadly. "What'll they do to him when they wake up and see that the Fossil's gone?"

Too tired to argue anymore, Ethan shrugged his shoulders. Besides, he knew that Hilbert was right. The Roggenrola would surely take their anger out on the injured one. "Alright, well, what do you suggest we do, then?"

Hilbert smirked, pulling out a Pokè Ball. "How about this?" He tossed the empty Pokè Ball. It sailed through the air before swallowing up the whimpering Roggenrola. The Ball wriggled once, twice, three times and then…

_Click!_

Ethan smiled. "Well, I guess that solves _that _problem."

Hilbert breathed a sigh of relief. "I felt bad for him, Ethan. Besides, I was on the lookout for a new partner. Plus, I hear that Roggenrola become really strong Pokèmon if you train them well enough."

He picked up the Pokè Ball. "Hey, Tepig! Patrat! Come meet our new friend!"

Seeing Hilbert with his three Pokèmon so happy together, Ethan couldn't help but feel a pang of self-pity. Hilbert seemed so happy with his Pokèmon. This bond that he'd had with them for only a few weeks had already grown into something special. _I wish I could be that close with my Pokèmon_, he thought.

Then it struck him. Earlier in the cave, he'd felt a rush of pride when talking to Hilbert about Deino. He'd felt so proud because he knew his Pokèmon instinctively. _Deino probably knows me just as well_, he told himself. I_ guess we're closer than we think_. "Come on, Hilbert," he said aloud. "Let's go." They turned back the way they came and entered the small passage to the entrance of the cave.

No sooner had they done so than the Roggenrola stirred.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

_Author's note:_

_Hello again! It's been months since I last posted. Now that that's been remedied, please let me know your thoughts on the story so far, as well as the new chapters. I'm planning to wrap up Part 2 soon, hopefully come Chapter 25. I'm in the process of working out the Part 3 timeline. If you have any requests or ideas for future side plots or chapters, feel free to message me or review the story. Either way, I'm happy. As always, I hope you enjoyed this one and there'll be plenty more to come (for better or for worse!)._


	19. Chapter 19: As We Forgive Those

Chapter 19: …As We Forgive Those

They lost track of how long they had been running. After the Roggenrola struck, running was their only option; a tunnel this small was hardly a place to stand and fight.

"How…close…are we?" Hilbert puffed, gasping for air. He was lagging a few steps behind Ethan.

"Nearly there!" Ethan called back, nowhere near as tired. It was times like these that he was glad he swam regularly in Undella Bay before he left. "Just keep an eye on them in case they start firing again!"

"O…K!" Hilbert managed to gasp out. Earlier, he had tried using Patrat's Hypnosis attack once more, but the little rodent Pokèmon never managed it in time; it was swiftly struck down by a barrage of Rock Blast attacks. Deciding that it was safest not to fight back, both Trainers had recalled all of their Pokèmon and focused on running away. Ethan, however, had kept Deino out and was cradling the little dragon in his arms, just in case they were forced to stand and fight. All the while, Deino growled in discomfort, but Ethan didn't want to make it run too.

"Here they come!" Hilbert cried. A moment later, several rocks came hurtling out of the darkness towards them. Hilbert ducked, pulling Ethan down with him. They proceeded to move low to the ground.

However, the Roggenrola were smart. They began shooting rocks from all directions. As they missed, the hit the sides of the cave walls, shattering into smaller pieces. The noise was deafening.

"How can they be so angry?" Ethan bellowed.

"Rock-type Pokèmon… can be pretty aggressive!" Hilbert yelled back. "Cheren… told me once!"

"So why didn't you tell me that _before_ I chased after them?!" Ethan exploded.

"Sorry!"

"_Not as sorry as I am_!"

_SMACK!_ Rocks shattered beside Ethan; shards went flying. Ethan covered his eyes as he kept low, but he still felt the shards rain down on his back. Deino lost its balance and sailed out his arms, yelping. "No!" Ethan cried as Deino rolled. He dived for it, arms stretched out, but another rock struck him in the back. He hit the ground as he yelled in pain. _Get up! _said a voice in his head. _They're getting closer. Get up!_ He sprang up on all fours, but Deino was up faster. As Hilbert helped Ethan on to his feet, Deino roared fiercely at the oncoming Roggenrola. Purple flames shot straight at them again and again.

Suddenly, something under Ethan's belt glowed and Rufflet flew out, squawking. Flapping its wings vigorously, its Wing Attack kicked up a gust of wind that spread the flames out, creating a wall of purple fire. Ethan and Hilbert stared in amazement as the Roggenrola stopped attacking and began to retreat back the way they had come.

"It's working," breathed Hilbert.

"Incredible," agreed Ethan.

When the Roggenrola had reached a safe distance, Ethan and Hilbert continued running. Deino and Rufflet followed slowly, keeping the Roggenrola at bay.

"How did Rufflet do that?" Hilbert asked as they ran. "It made that gust of wind from a Wing Attack."

Ethan grinned. "Rufflet's getting stronger every day, so its attacks must be getting stronger, too."

"We'd better hurry," Hilbert warned. "They're not going to be able to hold them off forever." As he said it, they felt a raised incline in the floor. "We must be getting close!"

Ethan recalled his worn-out Pokèmon. As soon as he did, the Roggenrola charged.

"Go!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"This is ridiculous, Cheren! We have to look for them!" Arguing with Bianca was exhausting, Cheren decided. "Where would we start?" he asked, humouring her rather than listening to her.

"Look, we saw them go in. Let's just try and sneak in as well!"

"Wouldn't work. Besides, if we _did _get in, they could be anywhere. They wouldn't be lost, either. It's best just to wait for them."

"It's been two hours," Hilda objected. "Why would they be taking so long if they're not lost? Wouldn't _they_ have seen them?" She pointed over to the Trainers who had emerged from the cave earlier.

"They'll be here," Cheren assured her.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The slope was getting steeper, just like when they had first entered. "We're nearly there!" Ethan called out. The light from the afternoon sun was faint at the end of the tunnel.

But the Roggenrola were gaining. They attacked more frequently and viciously; they must have known they were near the end of the cave.

The light was growing brighter. They were nearly out. Rocks exploded all around them; on the walls, the roof, even the ground behind their feet.

The slope evened out, signalling the entrance of the cave. Ethan grasped Hilbert by the arm and dragged him through the mouth-shaped entrance into the sunlight, moments ahead of the Roggenrola.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Look!" Bianca pointed excitedly at the entrance of the cave. Ethan and Hilbert burst out, gasping and exhausted. The guards converged on them immediately.

"Wait!" Ethan cried out. "We're being attacked!" He freed Hilbert from his grasp and they ran into the thinning crowd to see the others.

"What happened to you?" Cheren asked, astonished.

"The… Pokèmon… attacked us!" Hilbert gasped, clutching at a stitch in his chest.

"Did you get the Fossil back though?"

"Why else… would they… be attacking us?" Hilbert replied.

Hilda pointed over at the Roggenrola. "Why have they stopped?"

She was right. They may have been chasing the two boys a moment ago, but now they had stopped just outside the cave. They seemed to be moving into formation.

"They want to fight," Ethan warned them. "We should get everyone away."

One of the guards caught the crowd's attention. "Please move away from here. We will try and get the Pokèmon back inside the cave."

The crowd took a few steps back, but they were curious as to what was happening.

All of a sudden, the Roggenrola began to glow. Their bodies were no longer blue, but blinding white.

"What are they doing?" Ethan asked, nonplussed.

Hilbert murmured in Ethan's ear. "This… might be another good time to run."

The Roggenrola began to morph into a different shape. They grew in height and stretched sideways as well. All of a sudden, limbs starting to sprout from the whitish glow, following by hard jagged edges. They grew bigger and wider and Ethan realised he was watching a Pokèmon evolution for the first time.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"They're evolving!" Bianca gasped.

When the Pokèmon stopped glowing, the crowd got a better look. They were still blue, but had orange crystals all over their bodies. The five Trainers each scanned these new Pokèmon.

"_Boldore, the Ore Pokèmon. Because its energy was too great to be contained, the energy leaked and formed orange crystals._"

"They must have been angry that we escaped and decided to evolve!" Hilbert realised.

"Great," said Cheren sarcastically. "Now what?"

But his question was never answered. The Boldore struck immediately, shooting large chunks of rock at the crowd. Many screamed and ran away. The guards that had remained sent out their Pokèmon to fight.

Cheren followed suit, pulling a Pokè Ball from his belt. "These people need our help. Let's give it to them, shall we?" He tossed the Ball and a Servine emerged, hissing. "Servine, help out with Leaf Tornado."

Servine whipped up a gust of wind. As it picked up leaves and debris, it was sent whistling towards the nearest Boldore.

Hilda and Bianca were next, calling out Oshawott and Pignite. Oshawott dived into the battle and began slicing its scalchop against a Boldore's rocky torso. Pignite teamed up, dive-bombing the same Boldore with a vicious Arm Thrust, smacking it square in the eyes. The Boldore growled in anger.

"Deino, you're up!" The baby dragon sent a multitude of purple flames at a charging Boldore. Hilbert called out his recently-caught Roggenrola.

The Boldore rolled. It avoided Deino's attack and changed targets, charging for Roggenrola instead. Having registered Roggenrola in his Pokédex, Hilbert knew its attacks already. "Use Iron Defense, Roggenrola!"

Roggenrola's body turned silver-steel, sparing it from a close-range Headbutt attack.

"Alright, now hit it with a Mud Slap!"

Roggenrola jumped into the air, squirting mud into Boldore's eyes. The creature roared, blinded. It flailed around, shooting Rock Blast attacks in random directions.

Elsewhere, the battle wasn't going in Cheren's favour. By chance, one of the Boldore had stepped on Servine's tail, restricting its movement. Another teamed up to deliver a wicked Headbutt. Servine hissed in pain as it could do nothing but received the attack in the face.

But Bianca saved him. Pignite entered using a Flame Charge, freeing Servine.

"Servine, team up with Pignite and use Wrap!" Cheren commanded.

Servine slithered up to the Boldore that had trapped it earlier and wrapped its long body around it.

"Now, hit it with Arm Thrust, Pignite!" called Bianca. Pignite grunted as it delivered yet another effective attack on Boldore. Pignite never stopped its barrage of attacks until the Pokèmon collapsed, defeated.

"One down," Cheren muttered to himself.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Oshawott was in trouble. Hilda had been doing fine until Bianca left to help out Cheren. Now, the little otter was being trampled by two Boldore at once.

"Here, let me!" cried one of the guards, whose Panpour delivered a much-needed Water Gun attack to the Boldore. The attack was weak, but it was enough to free Oshawott.

"Thanks!" Hilda called out appreciatively. "Now, Oshawott, fight back with Razor Shell!"

Oshawott jumped high to strike down with its scalchop once more, but the Boldore were ready. One jumped on top of the other and was propelled into the air! Hilda could only stare as the flying Boldore grabbed a hold of Oshawott and threw it down to the ground with it. Hilda knew that Oshawott had just been a victim of Boldore's vicious Smack Down attack. Oshawott didn't get up. "Return, Oshawott!" she said bitterly, holding out a Pokè Ball. As she stowed it away, she tossed out another. "Munna, Psybeam!"

Munna whispered softly as a low humming sound started. A beam of deep purple emanated from it, enveloping the Boldore. It began levitating, rising higher off the ground as it growled in confusion. As soon as Boldore reached its peak, the humming stopped and it was sent tumbling to the ground. A tangled mess of rock, Boldore quickly steadied itself to continue battling. It charged towards Munna, no doubt to strike with a Headbutt attack. "Munna, watch out!" Hilda cried; Psychic-type Pokèmon were vulnerable to head-on attacks.

A blue orb of light materialised in front of Munna. It whispered as the blue orb vanished inside its head. It went hurtling through the air, colliding with the charging Boldore. The attacks struck, but Munna's was stronger and Boldore hit the ground again, knocked out for good this time.

Impressed, Hilda scanned Munna with her Pokèdex. "Dexter, what was that attack just now? It didn't look like anything Munna's done before."

Dexter beeped. "_It appears that Munna has learned a new move: Zen Headbutt. Zen Headbutt is a variation of the Headbutt attack for Psychic-type Pokèmon."_

"Munna, that was so impressive! You beat that Boldore and it was twice your size!"

Munna murmured happily, smiling. Hilda returned the smile, but remembered her fallen partner.

"Oshawott, Munna and I are going to fight for you, OK? Come on, Munna. Are you ready to take down the rest?"

Munna nodded firmly.

"Alright, let's go."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"There's too many of them! I need your help!" Hilbert called out to Ethan.

"Right. Hang on a minute, I'm coming!" Ethan replied; Deino had his hands (or rather, legs) full with another Boldore. No matter how many times Deino used Dragon Rage or Dragonbreath, Boldore kept evading the attacks. Ethan gritted his teeth in frustration as yet another shockwave of flames missed.

"Quickly!" Hilbert cried desperately. His Roggenrola was in a world of pain. The Boldore had intercepted its Mud Slap attack and sent it back at Roggenrola. Blinded, Roggenrola could do nothing to stop Boldore from unleashing its devastating Smack Down attack. From the looks of Boldore, it looked like it was gearing up for a second (maybe a _final_) attack. "Hang in there, Roggenrola!"

Roggenrola squeaked in fear, its vision blinded by its own Mud Slap attack.

Then-

"Munna, intercept with Zen Headbutt!"

Hilda's fierce command sent Munna soaring through the air straight for Boldore. Moments before the Pokèmon could crush Roggenrola with its Smack Down attack, Munna intercepted. Boldore was completely off-guard as the side-one attack struck directly. It rolled through the air as it hit the ground in a tangled mess of rock.

"Roggenrola!" Hilbert commanded. "Finish it off with Mud Slap!"

Having been hit by several chunks of mud, Boldore finally collapsed, conceding defeat. "Nice one," Hilbert thanked his sister in appreciation.

"Don't mention it," she returned.

Ethan hurtled over to Hilbert. "I'm ready to help now!"

"Uh," Hilbert began, "No need. Hilda beat you to it."

Ethan blinked, taken aback. "Oh. Well, in that case, would you mind helping _me_ out?"

Hilbert sighed. "Seriously?"

"Sorry," said Ethan sheepishly.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The battle was becoming increasingly one-sided. Cheren looked around, observing the battlefield. Most of the Boldore had been defeated and were either stirring feebly or dragging themselves back into Wellspring Cave. As he spotted the last Boldore fall at the hands of Ethan and the twins, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The only people who had stayed to fight were the five of them, plus minimal police, since many of them had fled in the initial attack. Cheren shook his head in disbelief. "Useless," he muttered to himself. He strode over to Bianca. "What do we do now?" he asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Beats me. All I know is that I need to get Pignite to a Pokèmon Center."

Cheren agreed. "The closest one is in Nacrene City. Go get the others and we'll head off now." He checked his watch for the time: 5:30. At this rate, they wouldn't reach the city until nightfall.

Bianca called the others over. They were preparing to leave, when-

"Hey!"

Cheren sighed. "What now?"

It was the two officers who had tried to stop Ethan and Hilbert from entering the cave. The first one pointed to the two boys. "Those two were trespassing without authorisation. We'll be taking them to the station in Nacrene City, if you don't mind."

"Wait a minute!" Ethan interrupted. "We just helped you out!"

"He's right," agreed Hilbert. "If it weren't for us, we wouldn't have stopped those Boldore from rampaging."

"And if it weren't for you two, they wouldn't have attacked us, now would they?" countered the officer.

Hilbert was struck dumb. With no reply, he just hung his head.

"If I may," interrupted Cheren, stepping forward. "I noticed that many of the officers on duty aren't here anymore. That wouldn't have anything to do with the attacking Pokèmon, would it?"

Ethan felt a rush of gratitude towards Cheren; he raised a valid point.

"All I'm saying," Cheren continued, "is that it wouldn't look very good for the police if it got out that many of their officers abandoned their duty."

The second officer hesitated. "Those men… didn't have Pokèmon-"

"Well, that's a lie," Cheren cut across. "I saw them juggling Pokè Balls when we got here."

The officers glowered. "Are you blackmailing the police?" one of them asked.

"No," replied Cheren, with what he hoped was an innocent look on his face. "I'm just trying to say that it's not right to charge my friends when yours abandoned their duties."

"Alright, fine, we get your point," conceded the officer. "We'll be on our way. Just don't stir up any more trouble, alright?" He glared sternly at Ethan and Hilbert, who nodded, barely able to keep the smiles off their faces. Without another word, the officers were gone.

"That was brilliant!" Ethan whispered to Cheren.

"We owe you one," nodded Hilbert appreciatively.

Cheren dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "No need. I'm sure they weren't happy about the others deserting them either."

"Seriously, though," continued Ethan, "If my parents found out that I'd been arrested, I wouldn't be here for much longer. They don't even know that I left Nuvema Town."

"What?!" exclaimed Bianca.

Ethan hesitated; he hadn't meant to let that slip. _I might as well tell them the truth_. "I, uh, was sent to live with my cousin in Nuvema Town-"

"-You mean Cynthia, the almighty Champion of Champions?" Bianca piped up. She was still as starstruck as ever.

"Uh, yeah, her. Anyway, my parents sent me here because they hoped that living with my cousin would, I don't know, help me mature or something."

"And they don't know you've become a Trainer?" Cheren asked curiously.

"No, of course not," replied Ethan. "They'd never have let it happen. Not in a million years."

"Well, if you ask me, I think that becoming a Trainer is the perfect way to become independent," reasoned Hilda. "That said, would you prefer that we keep that secret?"

"Thanks very much," Ethan confirmed.

"No problem. So, are we all ready to go on?"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Now that Wellspring Cave was behind them, it didn't take long for the road to become grassy once more. There were plenty of Trainers training, even in the late afternoon. The five denied any and all battle requests though. After today, all they wanted was to collapse at the Pokèmon Center.

"So, Ethan," asked Cheren. "Can I have a look at this special Fossil?"

"Yeah!" Bianca's eyes lit up. "After all the trouble it took to get it back, can we have a look?"

"Sure, I don't mind." Ethan retrieved the heavy Fossil from his backpack. As they walked, the others examined it while Ethan explained how he won it.

"Interesting," commented Cheren; since he was the smartest, Ethan had hoped he would know something about Pokèmon Fossils. "And you said that there's a museum in Nacrene City that can resurrect the Fossil?" Ethan nodded. "Fascinating." Cheren's eyes lit up. "Imagine being able to witness an actual Pokèmon being restored from a Fossil."

"Plus," added Hilda, "I heard that Pokèmon Fossils are the remains of extinct Pokèmon. Whatever Pokèmon comes from that Fossil, it's bound to be very rare."

"Well, I guess that's just another rare Pokèmon for Ethan," laughed Hilbert. "Between his Deino, one of the last around, and his Rufflet, which are rarely seen in South Unova, he's definitely got a unique bunch of Pokèmon."

"Still," Ethan said, trying to draw some of the attention off him, "I guess all our Pokèmon are unique, no matter how rare they are. For example, you've all got rare starter Pokèmon, don't you? I don't think I've ever seen a wild Tepig or an Oshawott or a Snivy."

"You raise a good point," agreed Cheren. "Additionally, every Pokèmon has a different personality. I know that my Servine is incredibly calm and my Pidove is quite shy."

"My Pignite is really aggressive!" Bianca added. "And my Lillipup is insane! I don't think it ever runs out of energy."

"Patrat can be pretty shifty," Hilbert half-joked, "and my new Roggenrola doesn't seem to like fighting as much as my other Pokèmon."

"Munna has some kind of split personality!" said Hilda. "On one hand, it's calm and sweet, but on the other hand, it fights pretty viciously sometimes!"

"And then there's this new Pokèmon," finished Ethan, gazing at his Fossil. "Who knows what it'll be like?"

"Hey!" Bianca pointed excitedly on the horizon. "We're here!"

They reached the top of the hill and surveyed the city below. Surrounded by trees, everything in Nacrene City was arranged neatly. Warehouses were all painted different colours and were lined together perfectly. The main street formed a perfect 'L' shape through the middle of the city. Throughout the city were vintage railroad tracks that appeared to be out of use.

"It's so pretty!" Bianca gushed.

"Well, Nacrene City is also known as 'The City of Art'," explained Cheren, who had his Pokèdex and Town Map out. "It's 100 years old and is one of the oldest cities in Unova. That railway track was abandoned a long time ago. According to the map, the Pokèmon Center should be… right in the middle of town."

"Let's head straight there, then. I'm exhausted," complained Hilda.

The five descended the hill and took their first steps in Nacrene City, beaten and exhausted, but alive.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

_Author's note:_

_Now that we've finally gotten to Nacrene City, we can get this story moving. Also, we'll finally restore that damn Fossil that caused these last two chapters. I'd also like to hear your opinion on which Pokèmon gets restored from the Fossil. Feel free to PM me/review your opinion. Until next time, thanks for reading!_


	20. Chapter 20: Adapt to Succeed

Chapter 20: Adapt to Succeed

The young boy snarled as his Blitzle took yet another hit; her Watchog was just too strong for him. _A real shame_, she thought to herself, _especially since he'd promised a battle far greater than this._ She cocked her head to the side, deliberating whether or not to finish off this battle now.

"You haven't won yet, y'know!"

His harsh words drew her out of her reverie. "I'm sorry?" she asked.

"I said this battle ain't over," he called out, "and you'd better get ready for a real comeback!"

She sighed, making up her mind. "Watchog, Confuse Ray," she said calmly.

A shrieking sound came from Watchog. It travelled across the field, enveloping the boy's Blitzle.

"Blitzle!" he barked, "Use Quick Attack!"

Blitzle teetered side to side for a few moments. A moment later, its front leg kicked up and hit itself square in the face. The zebra-like Pokèmon looked dazed before falling in a crumpled heap. The boy stared in shock and disappointment.

She shrugged her shoulders and looked disdainfully at him. "I'm waiting," she called.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"…her name's Lenora and she specialises," said Cheren with a flourish, "in Normal-types."

Ethan leaned forward in his seat. "Normal-types?" he repeated quizzically.

"That's right." Cheren nodded before sighing. "Unfortunately, I don't have any Fighting-type Pokèmon to give me an advantage."

"Well, that's such a shame," Bianca chimed in sarcastically, "because my Pignite happens to be a Fire- _and _Fighting-type!"

Cheren shook his head. "It won't be enough. I hear her Pokèmon have taken down plenty of Fighting-types before. It'll take more than a type advantage to win this Badge. You'll have to make your entire _team _stronger if you want to win."

"Aww," whined Bianca, "But I don't wanna have to evolve my Lillipup!" She held on to Lillipup tightly as she said this, staring at the puppy with concerned eyes. Lillipup returned her concern with a lick to the face.

"Lillipup doesn't have to evolve," interrupted Hilda. "The whole point of being a Trainer is growing _alongside_ your Pokèmon, sure, but they'll only grow physically if both they _and_ their Trainer want it to happen. Lillipup can still grow strong."

"But," jumped in Cheren, "There comes a point where only their evolved counterparts can grow even stronger."

Hilda glared at him. "You're not helping her, Cheren."

"I'm not doing anything wrong!" Cheren said defensively. "I'm just letting her know her options. It's the right thing to do, from one Trainer to another."

Ethan stepped in. "I haven't evolved any of my Pokèmon and they're doing pretty well," he added helpfully. He smiled at Bianca, who was now clutching to Lillipup so tightly that the poor Pokèmon was going to explode. He breathed a small sigh of relief as she returned the smile, slightly releasing her grip on Lillipup.

"True enough," agreed Cheren, "but if they ever evolved, they would reach levels of strength unimaginable to their current selves."

"Can we _not_ talk about them like they're just some video game characters?" Hilbert interrupted firmly. "I thought Pokèmon were supposed to be our friends."

"I agree completely," replied Cheren, "I just think that if the time comes and they want to evolve: why should we stop them for our own desires?"

"Excuse me," the nurse called to Cheren from the counter. "Your injured Pokèmon have been healed, if you'd like to take them now."

Cheren dropped the argument and retrieved his Pokèmon. "Anyway," he said as he sat back down, "Going back to what I was saying earlier, Lenora uses Normal-types. Now, while you were all asleep last night, I asked around the place and found out where this Gym is. You noticed that there were no signs pointing to it on the way in?"

_Come to think of it, he's right_, thought Ethan. He recalled seeing several signposts directing the way to Striaton City Gym, but none in Nacrene City. "So, where is it?" he asked.

"Well, there's a museum in town," Cheren replied, "And the man who runs it is Lenora's _wife_."

"Yeah. And?" asked Bianca.

"Get this: the Gym is _in the museum!_" Cheren looked at them expectantly.

"Alright then," said Hilbert.

"That's where it is then," said Hilda

"That explains it," added Ethan.

Bianca was silent.

Cheren's face fell; it could not have been clearer that he had been expecting a much bigger reaction to this news.

"Why don't we head over there now and check it out?" Hilbert asked, breaking the awkward silence.

They left the Pokèmon Center and made their way to the museum, Cheren looking extremely humbled the whole way.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The warehouses in Nacrene City turned out to be converted houses and apartments. The city was nowhere near as large as Striaton City, most likely due to its old age, but the streets seemed friendly enough. The five were making their way past a local café, when-

"Hey!" a voice called out. Ethan looked over to see a teen girl, possibly fifteen or sixteen years old, run over from the café. He wasn't sure, but it seemed as though she was looking at-

"Hey, you're the guy! The guy who won the Day-Care Cup, right?" she asked him. She was blond, with baggy green clothes on. The first thing that came into Ethan's mind when he saw her was that she was some kind of environment-loving girl. "Uh, yeah, that's me," he answered. "I'm Ethan."

"My name's Danielle!" she stuck out her hand sharply. Ethan shook it, slightly unnerved. "I just wanted to formally congratulate you on your win, but you'd left the Day Care by the time I came to see you. I was there, too, you see." She spotted Hilbert and her face lit up. "Hey! Are you the guy who lost to him?"

Hilbert wasn't pleased. He answered her question with a steely nod and no smile.

"Anyway," she continued, returning her attention to Ethan, "I just wanted to say well done on the tournament. I'm a huge fan of you and your Pokèmon already. Your Deino was _such_ a cutie!"

"Uh, thanks," replied Ethan, who privately felt that Deino would set fire to anyone that called it a "cutie".

"Also, you guys seemed like you were headed for the Gym. Am I right?"

"That's right, yes," Ethan replied.

"Oh, OK. I just wanted to let you know that some guy was just here at the café about an hour ago. He was making some big talk about how he was so good, he could beat Lenora with a single Pokèmon. He didn't seem very nice. I just thought I should let you know so you can stay away from him."

"Well, thanks very much for that." Ethan tried a smile, but it just didn't turn out well. "We'll be on our way now."

"OK, then. See you round, maybe!" The girl made her way back to the café, skipping.

"That was…" Ethan began.

"Uncomfortable? Awkward? Uncomfortably awkward?" Cheren interrupted.

"Shut up."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Since they were Pokèmon Trainers, the museum allowed them access at half price ("What? So now we have to _pay _for our Badges as well?" Cheren grumbled). Inside were various rooms full of Pokèmon skeletons and artefacts.

"Ethan," said Hilbert, "Wouldn't this be a good time to enquire about your Fossil?"

"Hey, you're right!" Ethan agreed. "I'll ask the manager before we leave-"

A loud noise from upstairs cut him off. They hurried back to the main entrance where the staircase was. From upstairs, they could hear a bellowing voice.

"-should've been_ my Badge_ by now! This damn Gym is _rigged!_"

People around had begun staring upstairs as well; several looked quite uncomfortable.

"Please, keep your voice down, or I will have to ban you from the premises," came a woman's calm voice.

"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you? It ain't enough that you beat me, but now I can't even have a rematch? Some justice!" spat the other voice.

"Let's go see what's happening," muttered Cheren and he climbed the staircase. The others followed, albeit reluctantly; this was obviously the boy that Danielle had mentioned earlier.

When they reached the top, they followed the voices. Rounding a final corner, they found the source of the noise.

The woman was dark-skinned and had large fuzzy hair. She wore white and teal clothes with a bright apron. The boy was tall, muscular and hard-faced with dark brown hair. The moment he saw the boy, Ethan wanted nothing more than to hide behind the others.

For there, at the opposite end of the room, was Guy.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The woman noticed the newcomers and turned to face them. "My apologies," she said sadly. "I'm just having a disagreement with a challenger here. If you're here for a Gym Battle, I'll be happy to accommodate afterwards."

Ethan said nothing. He was rooted to the spot.

Guy looked over at them. "We're in the middle of something here. Go back downstairs." His eyes met Ethan's and he did a double take. He smiled a taunting smile. "Well, I'll be," he said mockingly. "If it isn't that kid from the Trainers' School! What's your name again? Eric? No… Ethan! That's it!"

"Ethan, you _know _him?" Cheren asked, open-mouthed.

"We… met in Striaton City," said Ethan; their last meeting left a bitter taste in his mouth. "So, I guess you left Trainers' School."

Guy smirked. "I told you I was about to graduate, didn't I? Well, I'm out. I won myself a Badge at the Striaton Gym and I'm on my way to compete in the League!" He motioned for Ethan to come closer. Guy whispered in his ear. "Speaking of that School, I thought you'd like to know a little something about your little friend. You know: that cocky little know-it-all?" Ethan tried not to let the surprise show on his face, but Guy saw it. "Yep. That's right. I saw him there a few days ago. He must have known I'd have a go at him. How could I not, especially after our little battle the other week?" He paused for effect, letting the menace in his words crawl under Ethan's skin. "Anyway, let's just say that he looked a little… _worse for wear_ when I left." He stepped back, clearly satisfied with the effect his words had on Ethan. He swung around to address the others. "The name's Guy, if your friend here wasn't polite enough to mention me earlier. Now, why don't you run off while I finish up with the Leader?"

The woman stepped forward. "My name is Lenora. As you've probably figured out, I'm the Gym Leader of Nacrene City. Guy is correct. I was in the middle of a discussion with him-"

"You lost, didn't you?"

The others turned around in amazement at Bianca, who had spoken. She immediately recoiled, regretting her words.

"What'd you just say to me?" he said threateningly.

"I-I was just asking whether you lost," Bianca said quickly. "You're talking with the Gym Leader and you seem angry. I was j-just assuming that-"

"I'm always angry. In fact, right now, you're making me _pissed off_. So I'd suggest that you shut your mouth and think before you open it again. I've got no time for pissy little comments from a stupid little girl."

Bianca stepped forward boldly, her eyes gleaming. "Why am I the stupid one? _You're _the one who lost."

"Bianca, no!" Hilda moaned, pulling her friend back by the arm.

"Leave her," Guy threatened Hilda. "She wants to fight her battles, so let her. If you really wanna know so badly, then yes, I _did _lose. But only because _this Gym Leader_ is a _liar_!" He pointed accusingly at Lenora.

"I didn't lie to you at all, Guy," she said calmly. "You just assumed that I only had two Pokèmon to battle with."

"Well, if you didn't have that third Pokèmon, I would've beaten you! You know what I think? I think you just threw in that last Pokèmon just so you could pretend like you hadn't beaten me yet!"

"Just because Cilan, Cilli and Cress only used two Pokèmon does _not_ mean that all Gym Leaders have two Pokèmon to battle," countered Lenora.

"Why don't you give up?" Bianca snapped. "You're obviously bitter about losing. Just accept it!"

"Oh, yeah, _accept _it," spat Guy. "The only reason you've accepted losing, _Bianca_, is because you've lost so many times!"

His words struck a nerve. Bianca recoiled, blushing furiously. "I-I am perfectly able to win my own battles!" she retorted.

"You talk big," warned Guy, "but it'll cost you in the end. Let's sort this out through a battle!"

"Fine," countered Bianca coolly, "but you'd better head off to the Pokèmon Center first. After all, you _did _just lose your last battle."

Guy smirked. "Means nothing to me. That match was rigged for all I'm concerned."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

They agreed to meet at the Nacrene Battle Club in one hour. They left the museum so quickly that Ethan never got a chance to enquire about his Fossil either. The whole way there, the others tried persuading Bianca to call the battle.

"You don't have to prove _anything_, Bianca!"

"Don't go through with it!"

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into!"

"Why are you so worried?" Bianca snapped. "Would you be so scared about this if I _hadn't_ lost so many battles?"

Cheren bit his lip. He had no response.

"I thought so," she said fiercely and walked on alone.

"This is insane!" cried Cheren. "He'll wipe the floor with her if she's not careful!"

"Don't count her out just yet," interrupted Hilda. The others turned to look at her. "I mean," she continued, "have you ever seen Bianca so passionate about something? She's clearly out to prove a point. Why should we stop her?"

"Yes, but why does it have to be _him_?" Cheren moaned.

"Maybe," said Ethan, "it's because she was actually confident enough to stand up to someone like him. Maybe that's why she thinks she can win this. Come on, guys, we can't go in with this kind of attitude. How does this look to Bianca? Shouldn't we be supporting her instead of holding her back?"

"It's not so much 'holding back' as it is 'sheltering her from the wolves'!" Cheren cried.

"She's not a baby, Cheren!" Hilda rolled her eyes. "Let her make her own decisions. It's her battle, so stop making it ours."

Cheren looked worried. "This is insane," he said again, but dropped the subject and walked in anxious silence.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Ladies and gentlemen!" called the announcer. "Boy, do we have a day for you! The Nacrene City Battle Club is happy to announce that we have five battles this fine morning. And it all kicks off _right now_!"

The crowd cheered. Ethan didn't need to look around to know that this crowd was much larger than Cheren's battle in Accumula Town. Most seats were full and there were betting odds at this Battle Club.

Spotting a familiar face, Ethan watched Battle Club owner Don George enter the field. Or at least, it _looked _like Don George. He recalled Professor Juniper telling him that there were several Don George's all over Unova.

"Our first battle this morning will be Nolan from Striaton City against Christy from Anville Town!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The battles went on and on. Bianca and Guy were scheduled to be the last match of the morning. As each battle raged on below them, the tension grew. Ethan could feel the knot in his stomach tighten each time a winner was declared. One winner meant one step closer to Bianca's battle. When Sean from Nacrene City fell at the hands of Barry from Nimbasa City, he knew which battle was coming next.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have _one more battle_ for you this morning!" said the announcer. "Please give a very warm welcome to our final two Trainers: Guy from Striaton City and Bianca from Nuvema Town!"

The crowd whistled and cheered as they entered the field. They both glared at each other. No words were spoken; they both knew the stakes.

Don George raised his hands. "The battle will take place between Bianca and Guy. They have agreed to use two Pokèmon against each other. The Trainer who manages to make the other two Pokèmon faint wins." He raised his hands. "Trainers, begin!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

_Here we go_, Bianca thought to herself. Whether her friends were with her or not, she was going to win this battle. "Here we go, then. Pignite, get ready to battle!" She tossed out her Pokè Ball, the fiery pig Pokèmon growling as it emerged.

Guy snorted. "Fire-type, huh? No mercy from me then. Panpour!" he called as the Water-type monkey burst on to the field.

_Better stick to non-Fire type moves_, Bianca told herself. "Pignite, Smog! And keep your distance!"

Pignite sucked in air and exhaled a poisonous cloud of gas. The gas crawled across the field, seeking out Panpour.

"Nice try, but playing it safe won't win you this battle," Guy leered. "Panpour, blow it away with Water Gun!"

Panpour jumped high into the air, moments before the smog reached it, and shot bursts of water on the field. The poison clouds dissipated instantly. "Good, now close the gap and use Fury Swipes!"

Having landed gracefully on the ground, Panpour rushed forward, claws extended. Right before reaching Pignite, it leapt once again and struck from above, striking Pignite's weak spots with its bare claws.

"That's nothing, Pignite!" Bianca reassured her Pokèmon. "We'll show him how we work. Arm Thrust at close range!"

Pignite swung its arms rapidly, retaliating against Panpour's claws. The monkey was caught off-guard and tumbled to the ground, completely exposed to Pignite's vicious punches.

"Almost," said Guy, gritting his teeth, "but we're not through just yet. Panpour, get up and use Bite!"

As Pignite's arm fell for yet another blow, Panpour sunk its teeth into Pignite's hand. Pignite shrieked in pain.

"Make it your advantage, Pignite!" Bianca cried. "Spin your hand around in the air!"

Pignite raised its arm, spinning vigorously. Panpour's teeth had sunk deeply, so it was still firmly latched on. After several revolutions, it grew dizzy. That was when-

"You've got it in your crosshairs! Use Smog!"

Pignite exhaled yet another poisonous plume of smoke, which Panpour was utterly unable to defend itself against.

"Hold it!" Guy interrupted. "Panpour, Water Gun!"

Panpour's jaws were already open from being latched on to Pignite's hand. Shooting out bursts of water slowly doused Pignite's entire body in water. Having been covered in its weakness, the Pokèmon was at a disadvantage.

"Now, give it another Fury Swipes!" Guy bellowed.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The others watched the battle from above with wonder as the crowd gasped and cheered. They had never seen Bianca battle like this before. Not only was she strategizing, but she was utilising her opponent's advantages to be her own.

"Looks like she's learned a thing or two from hanging around with you, Cheren," said Hilda, impressed.

Cheren was still worried. "It'll take more than that to beat him, though. He's figured out her weak spots, too."

"There's no way Guy can take out Pignite with only Panpour, though," commented Ethan. "It's too strong. At this rate, if Guy beats Pignite, it'll take Panpour with it."

"You may be right," warned Cheren. "Look!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Panpour had struck the disadvantaged Pignite with yet another Fury Swipes attack. The big Pokèmon was slowly being taken down. However-

"It won't be that easy!" Bianca smirked confidently. "Pignite, Flame Charge!"

"Huh?" Guy was confused. Fire-type moves should have been out of the question for a Water-type opponent. Then it became clear.

Pignite was using the heat from inside its body to dry itself. Soon, the water had all but evaporated.

"Now, go for it!" Bianca commanded. Pignite didn't have to run far. Panpour was still in such close range. It would easily overpower the small Pokèmon-

"Protect!"

A wall of light materialised, shielding Panpour. Pignite charged straight into the barrier. The Pokèmon rebounded and was slingshot backwards. It hit the wall and sank to the ground, dazed.

Bianca was furious. "What happened to 'playing it safe won't win the battle'"? she snapped.

But Guy didn't answer. He was no longer comfortable with the tide of this battle. His face a mask, he prepared his next command.

"Panpour, finish it off with Water Gun!" Panpour charged once more to deliver its final attack.

"Pignite, get up and counterattack!" Bianca called desperately, but she knew that she'd lost the round as soon as she lost her confidence. She looked away as Panpour struck Pignite once more.

"Pignite is unable to battle, which means that the winner is Panpour!" Don George raised his arm towards Guy.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The crowd were stamping their feet. Ethan was in shock. He was sure that Bianca would prevail over the type disadvantage. At the very least, he expected Pignite to take Panpour with it. But instead, Panpour had obliterated Bianca's powerhouse with plenty of energy for her final Pokèmon, which was-

"Lillipup," he said aloud and groaned. How was Bianca going to win now? Guy still had one more Pokèmon up his sleeve, one that no one had seen yet.

"I can't believe it," moaned Hilda. "She had him!"

"I have to admit that I thought she had it as well," Cheren admitted. "Still, she needs to finish this battle honourably."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Pignite, you were great," Bianca said soothingly. "I promise that I'll win for you. Return." She turned to face Guy. "So you got one past me. And that's as far as I'll let you."

Guy snorted. "Let you? _Let you?_ From what I just saw, you just got your trump card trumped. What've you got next?"

_My final chance_, she thought to herself. "Lillipup, let's win this thing!" The puppy Pokèmon barked as it landed on the field.

Guy shrugged his shoulders. "If that's the way you want it, fine. Panpour, Bite!"

"Lillipup, Take Down!" Bianca countered. The two Pokèmon charged straight for each other.

But Lillipup was faster. It struck Panpour right in its gaping mouth and the monkey Pokèmon hit the ground.

Lillipup landed, recoiling in pain thanks to its Take Down attack.

"Now, Panpour! Strike back while its injured!"

Panpour came out of nowhere with its follow-up attack. Digging its claws into Lillipup, it struck again and again. Lillipup howled.

"Get out of there, Lillipup!" Bianca cried, losing her composure once more. _Oh no_, she thought. _This is where I lose!_

"Don't let it get away, Panpour!" countered Guy. "Keep at it with Fury Swipes!"

_Hang on_, Bianca thought. "Lillipup!" she called out. "Use Work Up!"

The crowd fell silent at the odd command. Why was Bianca using a status move instead of counterattacking? Nevertheless, Lillipup began to growl and rage as it was continually struck by Panpour. The glint in its eyes said it all: Lillipup was angry for blood.

"Now, Lillipup!" Bianca cried. "You're ready!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"What the hell is she doing?!" Cheren cried. "She's getting destroyed out there!"

"She has a plan!" Hilda retorted. "Otherwise she wouldn't be doing this!"

Ethan had his head in his hands. The battle had suddenly gone from bad to worse. It seemed like Bianca had given up, or at least run out of strategies.

Then he heard her.

"Now, Lillipup! You're ready!"

_What?_

A bright light filled the Battle Club, emanating from Lillipup.

Cheren stopped mid-sentence, mouth hanging open. "No way," he whispered.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Lillipup began barking loudly. Its body began glowing brightly. Panpour stopped attacking and stepped back, shielding its eyes from the blinding brightness. The crowd was dumbfounded. Guy was seething.

And Bianca stood there and took it all in, grinning from ear to ear. "Yes," she whispered to herself. Her faith in Lillipup had paid off and now… now her final strategy came into play.

Lillipup's growl grew deeper. The shapeless form grew bigger. And Panpour stepped even further away from the light.

When the glowing light had dissolved, there was no puppy standing there anymore. It was a dog.

"Herdier," Bianca whispered, triumphant.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

_Author's note:_

_Wow, these chapters seem to be writing themselves. Believe it or not, I'll be updating within the next 24 hours. I've already finished writing the outcome of Guy and Bianca's battle, but it ended up making this chapter over 5000 words, which is far too long compared to the rest of the story. Instead, I will wrap up this battle and move on to bigger and better things in the next chapter._

_So, Guy is back. Bet no one saw that coming… from a mile off… or two… or three… or fifty. Not so good news for Riley right now, but that's another story. Plenty of stuff going on in this chapter, much more than I planned on doing, so I'm spreading it out over two chapters (it seems that all my carefully planned plans were all for naught). Seriously, though, thanks for reading, reviews are much appreciated, as is any PM feedback, so don't hesitate to send me your positive/scathing opinions. I'm really excited for where the story is about to head and so should you! Until next chapter, I hope you enjoyed my fanfic._


	21. Chapter 21: Restoring the Past

Chapter 21: Restoring the Past

"_Herdier, the Loyal Dog Pokémon. This Pokémon is extremely loyal to its Trainer. Its black, cape-like fur is surprisingly hard and reduces the amount of damage it receives."_

"Incredible," Ethan remarked, pocketing his Pokèdex. "Bianca must have known that Lillipup was ready to evolve before the battle."

"She knew it all along." Cheren stared at the battlefield in amazement. "She had this battle planned from the moment he challenged her!"

"But why was she so concerned?" Hilbert asked, recalling their conversation from the Pokémon Center. "I thought she didn't want Lillipup to evolve."

"I think the only thing holding her back from evolving Lillipup," answered Hilda, "was _her_. She became so attached to Lillipup that she didn't want it to change."

"I guess she finally realized that if Lillipup wanted to change, she should let it." Hilbert nodded in understanding.

The crowd was going wild with excitement. In the face of this new development, Bianca had just upped the ante on this battle.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Guy was furious. "Hey!" he called from across field. "Just because you've got yourself a stronger Pokémon doesn't mean you've won this!"

"I _have _won this," Bianca called back. "The moment you lost your cool was the moment you lost this battle." Having quickly scanned Herdier with her Pokèdex, she was delighted to try out its new move.

"Panpour, finish it off with Bite!" barked Guy.

"We'll do better than that!" Bianca countered. "Herdier, use Crunch!"

Herdier barked viciously as it charged at Panpour once more. The two Pokémon opened their jaws gaping wide to deliver a blow.

Herdier was swifter and tackled Panpour to the ground. Now trapped under its paws, the monkey was helpless to the intimidating dog. Herdier sunk its teeth into Panpour, tossing it about. Finally, with one final swing, Herdier sent it flying up into the air.

Panpour was knocked out before it even hit the ground.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Panpour is unable to battle. Herdier is the winner!"

"Pathetic!" Guy swore as he recalled Panpour. "Alright then, let's finish this up. Come on out, Blitzle!"

From out of the Pokè Ball galloped a black zebra-like Pokémon with a shockingly white mane. Curious, Ethan pulled out his Pokèdex once more.

"_Blitzle, the Electrified Pokémon. Blitzle catches electricity in its mane, which glows when the electricity is discharged. It can catch bolts of lightning with its mane."_

Cheren's eyes widened. "I've seen them before! They were on Route 3!"

"How difficult are they to beat?" Hilbert asked.

"Difficult to say," Cheren replied. "It depends on how well-trained it is. If Guy's trained it hard, there's no telling how strong it could be."

"Hopefully, Herdier can knock it out before we find out how strong it is," said Ethan apprehensively.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Here we go," Bianca told Herdier. "Work Up!"

"Blitzle, Charge!"

Herdier began to jump on the spot, barking madly. Meanwhile, Blitzle was catching pockets of electricity from around the room. The electricity soared through the air and disappeared into its white mane. It grunted and whinnied as it absorbed the extra power.

"Now, Blitzle, unleash a Shock Wave!"

"Take Down, Herdier!"

Blitzle stomped the ground ferociously. A wave of electricity was sent surging across the field, like Pignite's Smog attack. It was practically impossible to avoid the attack; bolts of electricity were surging from the wave in all directions.

"Dodge them, Herdier!" Bianca called out.

Blitzle's attack grew unstable. The closer Herdier got, the wilder the electricity grew. It seemed to be detecting Herdier, sending sparks flying towards the dog. Herdier maneuvered nimbly through the attacks. At last, it soared high into the air above Blitzle and dived downwards. The battle was over-

"Hit it with Thunder Wave!" yelled Guy.

All of a sudden, another bolt of electricity surged from Blitzle's mane. Caught off-guard, the bolt struck Herdier, moments away from delivering its attack. It fell to the ground, paralyzed.

"No!" Bianca gritted her teeth in frustration. If Herdier couldn't get up, then the battle was over.

"This battle is mine!" Guy bared his teeth in triumph.

_Come on, think!_ Bianca was racking her brains for a strategy. Herdier was paralyzed and she needed it to regain movement. _If I can get it to make exaggerated movements, I could get it to regain some movement in its legs! But how?_

"Blitzle, attack it-"

_Take Down won't work, it's not moving. Neither will Crunch. Leer won't do much, other than delay it by a few seconds. All Work Up will do is_-

"Herdier, use Work Up!" Bianca cried. Her idea had come just in time!

It worked. Herdier's paralyzed body started to spasm uncontrollably. It was slowly regaining movement in its limbs.

"Finish it off with Shock Wave, Blitzle!" Guy commanded, desperately wanting to finish the battle quickly.

But it wasn't quick enough. Thanks to its vigorous movement, Herdier had managed to regain control of its legs. And that was enough for it to carry out its next attack.

"Intercept with Take Down!"

As Blitzle's wave surged across the field once more, Herdier bounded off the ground. The next moment, it dived, practically spiraling out of control until it found its mark.

Blitzle collapsed under the weight of the attack. The shockwave vanished, all its power used up.

"Blitzle, get up and fight!" Guy snarled in frustration.

Slowly, Blitzle used the last of its energy to raise its hind legs. It was almost on all fours before it collapsed, utterly devoid of energy.

Don George raised his hands for the final time. "Blitzle is unable to fight which means that the battle goes to Bianca of Nuvema Town!"

The next few minutes were a surreal blur. Between the cheering crowds, Guy's red face as he sauntered off and the others as they congratulated her and complimented her impressive battling style, Bianca could barely register everything that was happening.

The only thing she remembered was bending down to speak to Herdier. Having finally realized the importance of listening to her Pokémon, she'd gained a valuable friend and ally. "We're gonna win," she said. "As many battles as we can, OK? You and me, Herdier, we're gonna win every battle we can possibly beat!"

Herder barked happily.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Afterwards, Ethan expressed his desire to return to the museum. The others agreed to go with him, eager to witness a Fossil restoration. Before too long, they found themselves face to face with Lenora once again.

"Hello again!" Lenora greeted them. "What brings you back here? And how did your battle turn out?" she asked Bianca.

"I think he's learned his lesson," Bianca replied smugly.

"Well done to you, then," she said. "Now, what can I do for you?"

Ethan retrieved the Fossil from his bag. "What can you tell me about this?"

Lenora gasped. "Hawes!" she called. "Hawes, come quick!"

Hawes turned out to be her husband, the owner of the museum. He was slim and wore square glasses over his big eyes. "Yes dear, what is it?"

"This boy has something to show you," she answered.

His eyes widened in delight as he saw the Fossil. "Ah, a Pokémon Fossil! These are _very_ hard to come by, young man. How on earth did you find one?"

"I won it," Ethan said proudly, "at the Day Care on Route 3."

"I see. Follow me then. I know exactly what you need."

Hawes led them into his office which was filled with books and scientific equipment. He picked out a microscope on his desk and slipped the Fossil underneath it, examining it in greater detail. "Hmm… relatively good condition. Slight chipping, but nothing too major though. Looks like it was carved out several months ago. Difficult to pinpoint its age, however."

Some time later, he stepped back from the lens. "It appears," he said to Ethan, "That this Fossil contains a Pokémon that is now extinct."

"OK," said Ethan, taking in the information. "Do you know what kind of Pokémon it is?"

"Well, I can't be certain," replied Hawes, "but I am fairly sure that this is a Cover Fossil."

"Cover Fossil?" Cheren repeated.

"The Cover Fossil," Hawes explained, "is the remnants of a certain Pokémon's shell. Between this Fossil and modern-day technology, we have the combined ability to resurrect a living Pokémon from these remnants. With your consent, we can begin extraction right away."

"What do you think, Ethan?" Lenora asked. "Would you like Hawes to extract the Pokémon for you?"

"Sure!" Ethan replied. "But do we know what Pokémon it is?"

"According to my notes," explained Hawes, "the Cover Fossil contains a Pokémon named Tirtouga. It's a dual Water-Rock type. Here, I have some rough sketches of the Pokémon from long ago."

The others huddled in to study the rough drawing. The Pokémon, Tirtouga, had fins and a hard shell that covered its body.

"Let's try this out." Ethan pulled out his Pokédex and tried scanning the sketch. It took far longer than usual to respond, most likely because it wasn't scanning a real Pokémon. Nevertheless, Dexter responded.

"_Tirtouga, the Prototurtle Pokémon. About 100 million years ago, these Pokémon swam in the oceans. They can dive to depths beyond half a mile and can also attack onshore."_

Hawes led them into another room. This one was filled with power generators. In the center of the room was a large machine with a round hollow in the middle.

"It's not safe to be in the room during the restoration process," explained Hawes, "which is why we installed the mirror next door; we can observe what's happening from there." He placed the Cover Fossil into the machine. "Let's get started."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Once they were all behind the mirror, Hawes began. As he fiddled with the dials in front of him, the others watched as a low hum droned from the room. Soon, a bright light shone from inside the machine; the Fossil was reacting.

Lenora had set up a camera to record the whole thing. "Commencing restoration process," she commented as she looked through the lens. "Everything's running smoothly. No issues detected."

The hum grew louder as the light became more intense.

"Intensity is now at 40%," Hawes said loudly over the humming sound. "Nothing out of the ordinary. Increasing intensity to 50%."

The light became too bright to look at directly. Ethan had to shield his eyes. Minutes passed as light filled the room.

"We've reached maximum intensity!" Hawes yelled over the noise. "Restoration is now commencing!"

The roar of the machine reached its peak. Then without any warning, everything grew silent. The light dimmed. Everything seemed frozen in time.

Then, the Fossil exploded. Shards of rock went flying. Ethan flinched and stepped back instinctively as the shards struck the mirror wall.

"Look!" cried Hawes, pointing to where the Fossil had been.

The Fossil had shattered, but in its place was a Pokémon: Tirtouga.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Over the next few hours, Hawes and Lenora put Tirtouga through several trials to test its stamina, mental capacity and physical ability. The others watched curiously. As they worked, Lenora made little comments on Tirtouga. "It seems to be coping just fine," she told the others. "It took some time for Tirtouga to adjust to its new surroundings, but it's calmed down now. Considering it used to be a predatory Pokémon, it's actually quite calm, which is unusual."

"You should consider yourselves very lucky," Hawes said. "It's not every day that you get to see a Pokémon restored from a Fossil." He retrieved Tirtouga from his desk; the turtle Pokémon yawned. "It looks like we're done here. Tirtouga is a healthy young Pokémon, so you're free to keep it Ethan. Here." He tossed Ethan a Poké Ball from his pocket. "Use mine. It's the least I can do for you after what you've brought to me today."

"Hey there, Tirtouga," Ethan greeted his new Pokémon. "How'd you like to stay with me?"

Tirtouga stared blankly at Ethan for a few moments before its face broke out into a smile. It clapped its fins together happily.

"I'll take that as a yes." Ethan opened up Hawes' Poké Ball and Tirtouga vanished inside it.

"Well, there you go," Lenora said. "I hope you come back to the museum soon. I'll be waiting for your challenge-"

"_Cino!_"

Quick as a flash, Ethan's Poké Ball disappeared from his hand.

"Huh?"

"Stop it! Quickly!" Hawes cried.

It was too late. Within moments, whatever had rushed into the room darted through the doorway once more.

"Hey! My Tirtouga!" Ethan shouted. "Give that back!" He began to give chase, but-

"Don't bother," interrupted Hawes. "It's long gone by now."

"What?! What do you mean it's gone?" Ethan asked, incredulous. "We need to chase after it, quick!"

Hawes shook his head sadly. "You won't be able to. That Minccino is just too fast."

"Did you say 'Minccino'?" asked Cheren.

"Yes," said Hawes, nodding his head. "Minccino sneaks into the museum every so often and steals my things. It runs away before I can chase after it."

"Hey, isn't that the Pokémon that the Professor used against you, Cheren?" Bianca asked inquiringly.

"Yes," said Cheren, clenching his teeth at the reminder of his first loss.

"So what happens now?" Ethan groaned. "I need to get my Tirtouga back!"

"I saw some Minccino on Route 3," Hilda put in helpfully. "Maybe it lives there."

"That would make sense," agreed Hawes, "considering they don't live in Pinwheel Forest."

"Pinwheel Forest? What's that?" asked Cheren.

"It's on the other side of Nacrene City," explained Lenora. "You'll have to cross through it to get to Castelia City."

"Excuse me, Lenora." The museum secretary poked her head inside. "There's a young man here. He wants to make a challenge."

Lenora sighed. "Never a moment's rest, I suppose." She stood up. "I wish you the best of luck in finding Tirtouga. I'd like to help, but I'm afraid I'm now tied up with Gym duties. I'll be waiting for your challenge." Without another word, she left the room.

"We have to find that Minccino," said Ethan after a moment's silence. "Professor Hawes, thank you for all your help, but we have to go -"

"I'm afraid you won't have much luck now," interrupted Hawes. "You see, Minccino are only active during the daytime and it's nearly nightfall now. If you want to catch that Minccino, I would suggest you wait until early tomorrow morning to set out."

"Tomorrow? But what if something happens to Tirtouga by then?" Ethan burst out.

"There's nothing we can do now, Ethan," said Hilbert. "We might as well head back to the Pokémon Center now."

Reluctantly, Ethan let the matter drop. "Fine. Let's go back, then."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

They made their way back to the Pokémon Center slowly. Ethan lagged behind, brooding in his loss. He was so close to finally getting a new companion and to have it taken away from him so easily…

"Hey, what's this?"

Hilda's voice interrupted Ethan's thoughts. She was gazing at the local noticeboard.

"Let me see." Cheren stepped forward to read the notice. It read:

_Trainers, come one, come all. If you think you've got what it takes to be the best, make your way to the Pinwheel Forest to compete in the annual Challenge Rock Tournament! Bring your best team and battle for the ultimate prize; an ultra-rare Pokémon! The tournament takes place at 10 AM on the 23__rd__._

"The 23rd?" repeated Hilda. "Hey, that's tomorrow!"

"This is perfect!" Cheren said eagerly. "A tournament is just what we need to prepare for the next Gym battle. There's bound to be some powerful Trainers there. Plus, I could do with a new Pokémon. And they say that it's "ultra-rare", too!"

"Hang on," Ethan interrupted. "What about the Minccino? I thought we were going to go to Route 3 tomorrow?"

Cheren shrugged his shoulders. "Do you really need all five of us helping?"

Ethan sighed. He knew that Cheren wasn't going to budge. "I guess not," he conceded.

"Well, I'll definitely compete tomorrow," Cheren said. "Does anyone else want to have a go as well?"

"I'm staying. Ethan needs our help, so I'm going to give it to him," answered Hilbert resolutely.

"I'll help out with Ethan, too," added Bianca. "This Minccino sounds like it needs to be taught a lesson. And I love teaching someone a lesson." Her eyes gleamed as she thought back to her battle against Guy.

"Uh, I hate to be a pain, but I think I'll go with Cheren," said Hilda quietly.

"Huh? How come?" Hilbert asked.

"Well, you guys are all ahead of me at the moment. I haven't been training as often as I should have and I feel like I need to catch up. I think this tournament will help me and my Pokémon get a little stronger."

"You do what you need to do," Ethan reassured her. "I won't force you to help me out if you need to spend time with your Pokémon." Hilda nodded gratefully.

"Then it's settled," said Cheren. "Tomorrow, you three will go looking for Minccino, while Hilda and I go to the Challenge Rock Tournament."

"Agreed." _We're coming for you, Tirtouga_, Ethan thought. _I promise we'll get you back._

He felt a pang of guilt. _I shouldn't be doing this_, he told himself. _I should never have lost Tirtouga. What kind of Trainer lets his Pokémon get taken away so easily?_

The answer plagued his mind for the rest of the night, mocking him. _Someone who doesn't deserve to be a Trainer._

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Congratulations," said Lenora, bowing her head in defeat. "You fought admirably. You've clearly demonstrated the skill necessary to earn this." She retrieved the Badge from her pocket and placed it into the young man's hand. "It takes a powerful Trainer to be able to defeat a Gym Leader with only one Pokémon."

"Yes, well, one is all I have at the moment."

"Oh? How unusual. Many Trainers strive to catch several."

"I prefer quality over quantity. I may look for some more, however."

"Well, to each his own, I guess. Congratulations, again."

"Thank you," he replied. "You fought well, too."

"Where will you go now?" she asked. "Castelia City? That is where the next Gym is, after all."

"I might," he answered. "I need to find someone though."

"Find someone?" she asked. There was something very unusual about this boy. From his Pokémon choice, to his battling style, he wasn't like most Trainers.

"Yes, I'm looking for a… a friend of mine. His name is Ethan. I think that he's challenging Pokémon Gyms. You haven't seen someone named Ethan, have you?"

There was something about his smile; Lenora couldn't tell whether it was friendly or menacing.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

_Author's note:_

_How about that? 3 chapters in one week. Go me. I hope you've been enjoying the story so far. Just who is that "young man" supposed to be? Was it Riley or Chris? Or maybe it was someone else… honestly, I probably don't even know who that was supposed to be. Also, I'd love your (professional) opinions on certain aspects, such as: _

_1) Travelling companions; should I ditch the game characters for some more OCs, or keep them on for longer?_

_2) What aspects of the story do you like? What aspects of the story do you hate?_

_3) Shall we have another Pokémon evolution soon? If so, whose?_

_4) Do you have a favorite character that you'd like to see more often? Or is there a character you hate?_

_Also, just another reminder that the OC form is on my profile, so please PM me your potential OCs if you have one. I've already received a couple and am planning on implementing them into the story in the near future. (A special shout out to __jntvfreak24__ for their awesome submission. Be on the lookout for your OC soon!)_

_Anyways, I hope you like what you're reading. For better or for worse, there'll be more to come soon. Thanks for reading._


	22. Chapter 22: The Taming of the Shrew

Chapter 22: The Taming of the Shrew

Sleep eluded Ethan; he knew he wouldn't be able to assuage his feelings of guilt until he rescued Tirtouga. So it was with a heavy heart that he rose early the next morning. Unable to stay still, he waited for the others downstairs in the Pokémon Center until his team was fully healed. As he thanked the nurse and retrieved his Pokémon, they ventured downstairs as well.

"Ready when you are," Hilbert said.

"Good," replied Ethan. "I want this done as quickly as possible." The concern must have been written on his face, for Hilbert gave him a comforting pat on the back as he passed.

"Good luck out there," said Hilda. "I hope you find Tirtouga." She smiled and waved goodbye, leaving for the tournament with Cheren.

"You too," he called after them. "Hang on, where's Bianca?" Looking around, he realized that she was nowhere to be found.

As if on cue, she busted into the room, looking as disheveled as ever. "I'm sorry," she panted. "I must have slept in!"

Sighing, Ethan led them outside. "We'll eat on the way, OK?"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

They began their search in the meadow on the outskirts of Nacrene City. Hilbert wisely suggested that they limit their search to the surrounding area of the city, since Minccino found its way into the museum often; its nest would surely be close by.

This didn't make the task any easier. While the meadow was clear and offered no hiding places, the forest beyond was thick with trees and bushes. There could be any number of nests for Minccino to hide out in. On several occasions, a noise up in a tree led them to a nest. Upon looking, however, it always belonged to a Pidove.

"Look on the bright side," Bianca suggested. "Even if we don't find Minccino, there are plenty of Pokémon we can battle for some extra training."

This was met with some resistance from Ethan, who only wanted to search for Tirtouga. However, Hilbert agreed that a break from all the searching might be beneficial. It took some time, but eventually he coaxed Ethan into battling some wild Pokémon. It wasn't a waste of time either. Not only did Rufflet and Deino gain a significant amount of strength, he also came up with some potential strategies for his upcoming Gym battle against Lenora. On top of that, the three of them gained some new entries for the Pokédex. They were just about to resume searching, when-

"Hey there! Fancy seeing you here!"

"Oh, God." Ethan sighed as he recognized the slightly obsessive girl from the café yesterday: Danielle.

"Is that you, Ethan? Hi, it's me, Danielle! Remember?"

"Uh, hi there," Ethan replied weakly. Bianca sniggered. "What are you doing here?"

"Me?" said Danielle. "Oh, I'm just doing some training with my Pokémon. Hey, if you're interested, how about a Pokémon battle? You might beat me though. I saw how well you battled at the Day Care Cup-"

"No thanks," Ethan interrupted her before she could go on. "We're actually looking for something."

Danielle's eyes lit up. Ethan's heart sank. "Ooh, then maybe I can help!" she exclaimed. "What're you looking for? A new Pokémon?"

"No, we're, uh, looking for a Minccino." Ethan decided to bite the bullet and told her everything that had transpired yesterday.

"A Minccino?" Danielle asked. "Hey, I can help with that!"

"You can?" Hilbert's ears perked up.

"Sure! I see them all the time out here. I live in Nacrene City, see? That means that I see Minccino come and go all the time."

"Wow." Ethan was stunned. Here he was, expecting her to be nothing but a hazard around them. "You wouldn't happen to know where they live, would you?"

Danielle thought for a moment. "Well, I don't know _exactly_. But, I do know how to lure them out into the open, if that helps."

"Really? How?" Ethan asked excitedly.

"You see, Minccino are incredibly tidy Pokémon," Danielle explained. "They just hate dirty things. For a Trainer trying to catch one, that's their one weakness. If you take their weakness and use it against them, you can get them to appear easily."

"How do you know so much about them?" Bianca asked, curious.

Danielle sighed. "I'm a Pokémon Breeder, duh!" She indicated the green apron she wore over her white outfit.

"Pokémon… Breeder?" Ethan repeated. "What's that?"

"While most Trainers prefer to raise their Pokémon for battling, I raise mine so that they can be as healthy as they can be!" She smiled. "I'm all about breeding Pokémon so that from a young age, they can be taught to grow healthy and strong! That's why I know so much about Minccino. I study their habits and their habitats all the time."

"So, that means that your Pokémon could be stronger than regular Trainers?" Hilbert asked.

"Potentially, yes," Danielle answered. "I don't exactly strive to battle everyone I meet, but when I'm in the middle of training my lovely friends, a battle is good for them. It helps them grow even stronger. That's why I was so curious about you, Ethan. Your Deino and Rufflet are obviously well-trained for such new Pokémon and I was interested in how you raise them."

"Oh, I see!" Ethan felt much better knowing why Danielle was so intent on spending time with him yesterday. "So, back to Minccino: how do we exploit its weakness?"

"Simple," said Danielle, a gleam in her eye. "Just lure it out with something dirty."

"Dirty?" repeated Hilbert. "Well, that's easy!" He turned to Bianca. "Bianca, give her something from your backpack."

"What? Oh, very funny!" Bianca countered sarcastically. "But just because I have trouble organizing things, doesn't mean I get them dirty as well. I– Oh," she fell silent as Hilbert pulled out her mud-encrusted cross-transceiver from the bag.

"Brilliant!" beamed Danielle. "That's absolutely _filthy!_ The Minccino will have no choice but to try and clean that up."

Bianca harrumphed.

"I'll leave it out in the open for them to find," explained Danielle. The other followed her back to the meadow outside Nacrene City. She placed it in the middle where it could be visibly seen.

"And now we wait," she said, with a satisfied smile on her face.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Welcome, Trainers, to the annual Challenge Rock Tournament!" The coordinator flashed a smile at the surrounding crowd as he spoke. "Today, we will be pitting Trainer against Trainer in an epic battle to find the ultimate Challenger!"

"Challenger?" Hilda asked Cheren. "What's that?"

"According to the pamphlet," Cheren read, "In order to request a battle, one must strike that Challenge Rock in order to request a battle." He pointed over to the large round rock that stood in the middle of the field. "That person is known as 'The Challenger'. If anyone else strikes the Challenge Rock within a minute of a challenge being declared, those two Trainers are matched up with each other."

"So, what's the point?" Hilda asked. "Why don't they just match Trainers together randomly? If you can get eliminated, why would someone willingly challenge a powerful Trainer?"

"It's a bit different here," said Cheren. "It says here that the Challenge Rock Tournament isn't a 'last-man-standing' type of competition. There are no eliminations, only wins and losses. At the end of the day, the winner of the Tournament is the person who has the most wins."

"Ah, I get it!" Hilda nodded in realization. "So, the Tournament is timed then?"

"Exactly. From 10AM, we have four hours to rack up as many wins as we can. You know what this competition means as well, don't you?"

"What?" Hilda was perplexed.

"The trick here is to look like a _weak _Trainer. Otherwise, people won't challenge you. You see? There's a certain strategy to gaining the right competitor."

"So, by appearing weaker, we're more likely to attract battles!"

"Interesting concept, isn't it?" said Cheren, smiling. He looked at his watch. "Well, we've got fifteen minutes before the tournament starts. I suggest we spend the time downplaying our abilities to the others."

Hilda laughed. Somehow, she felt that Cheren would have a much harder job of talking himself down than up. _This tournament is mine_, she told herself.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Look! Here comes one now!" Danielle said in a hushed voice. The four of them took shelter in a nearby bush where they could spy on anyone or anything that entered the meadow.

She was quite right; a lone Minccino crept out of the trees, sniffing. It didn't take long for the chinchilla to spot Bianca's dirty cross-transceiver.

"Told you," Hilbert whispered.

"Shut up," Bianca hissed.

"It's running away with it," murmured Danielle. "Quick, let's follow it!"

As soon as the Minccino turned its back to them, they broke cover, creeping behind at a safe distance.

They followed in silence, lest the Minccino overhear their hushed voices. Occasionally, they had to dart behind the trees, hiding whenever it turned around. However, after tailing Minccino for a good length of time, they stumbled upon a small grove.

There were several Minccino; Ethan counted twelve. They all appeared to be busy cleaning with their tails. Each of them had piles of stolen goods: watches, Badges, bracelets and many other shiny items. Scanning the piles, Ethan kept his eyes out for anything that resembled-

"There!" he whispered urgently, pointing to the furthest pile. There, close to the top, was a Poké Ball. "That's got to be it," he said to the others.

Danielle was watching with delight; Hilbert stared, open-mouthed. But Bianca was fuming.

"I can't believe they're getting away with stealing these things!" she hissed. "Look at all this stuff! This is so _wrong!_"

"Keep your voice down," Hilbert warned. "I don't want them catching us."

"Look at that!" Bianca said furiously. She pointed to the Minccino they had followed. It was adding her cross-transceiver to the same pile as the Poké Ball.

Bianca pulled out a Poké Ball. "I'm not gonna stand for this!" she said. Before any of them could stop her, she had leapt out of the bush, into the clearing. "Hey!" she shouted at them. "What do you think you're doing with all that stuff?"

The Minccino squeaked, frightened. They immediately backed up against their piles, trying to protect their goods.

"Bianca, no!" moaned Ethan; she could be so hotheaded sometimes. He, Hilbert and Danielle emerged from the bushes as well to calm her.

But Bianca refused to back down. "They're not going to give it back to us willingly, Ethan!" she cried. "Besides, they stole all this stuff from other people; it's only fair that we steal it back!" With a brush of her hand, her Poké Ball spun out. "Go, Pignite! Scare them off!"

With a burst of light, Pignite appeared, roaring fiercely. The Minccino were terrified; they scattered in all directions. When they had all disappeared, Bianca stormed over to retrieve her cross-transceiver and Ethan's Poké Ball.

Suddenly, one of the Minccino darted out of nowhere, blocking her way. Bianca shrieked and jumped. "How dare you?!" she cried. "Pignite, teach this little thief some manners. Ember!"

Before Pignite could attack, Minccino countered; it began singing softly.

"Oh dear!" gasped Danielle. "It's using Sing!"

Ethan was about to ask what Sing was, but he needn't have bothered. Within moments, Pignite had collapsed to the ground, fast asleep.

"What?! Pignite! Get up!" Bianca exclaimed. "Please, Pignite! We need to stop that Minccino!"

Now that Pignite had been subdued, Minccino continued attacking. Without warning, star-shaped rays of light shot out of nowhere, slamming into Pignite. Bianca shrieked as Pignite was slapped, not even waking from its deep sleep. Finally, she gave up, deciding to withdraw before Pignite fainted. "Pignite, return!" she called bitterly, staring daggers at Minccino.

"I'm a little confused," Danielle murmured to Ethan and Hilbert. "How is it she can defeat a Panpour _and _a Blitzle, yet has trouble with a Minccino?"

"Wha-? You went to the Battle Club yesterday?" Hilbert asked, surprised.

"Of course I did! There's so little to do in Nacrene City that the Battle Club is one of my main sources of entertainment. Besides, where better to observe well-bred Pokémon?"

"Oh, right." They turned back to Bianca, who was now trying to lure the Minccino away with Pokémon food. Unfortunately, she was getting rid of food, but not Minccino.

"I've had it!" she said, plonking herself down on the ground in frustration. "I'm sick of being one-upped by this little Minccino."

"Do you want me to try?" Ethan asked helpfully.

"No," she replied stubbornly. "First, it steals all this stuff and hides it out in the woods. Then, it tries to stop us from taking it back. I'm gonna make that Minccino regret being such a disobedient Pokémon."

"What do you mean?' Hilbert asked with trepidation. "You're not going to _hurt_ it, are you?"

"I'm afraid I can't let you harm that Pokémon," interrupted Danielle sternly. "As a Pokémon Breeder, I need to ensure the wellbeing of any Pokémon I meet. If you try and hurt that Minccino, I _will _have to stop you."

Bianca stared at them, confused. "I'm not going to _harm_ it," she answered. "I'm going to _catch_ it!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Trainers!" called a voice. "Please assemble around the Challenge Rock. The tournament is about to commence."

Hilda and Cheren joined the gathering crowd. The last fifteen minutes had been entertaining, to say the least. Hilda had managed to convince a group of gullible Trainers that she had lost the Striaton City Gym battle so many times, she had paid the Leaders for a Badge. They swallowed her story and glared intimidatingly at her. Hilda had to walk away before she burst out laughing.

Cheren, on the other hand, had struggled to understand the concept of talking himself down. When passing by, Hilda had overheard him telling a gang of powerful Trainers that he had won his first Badge, but only after five days of being a Trainer. She sighed and pulled him away for a moment. "You're supposed to be talking yourself down, not bragging about how fast it took you to get a damn Badge!" she hissed.

"Sorry," he replied sheepishly. "I don't know how to be a bad Trainer."

Hilda would have hit him if he weren't so pathetically honest; Cheren had never viewed himself, nor been proven, as a bad Trainer. "Get back there and tell them how Professor Juniper thrashed you in a battle!" she countered.

Cheren had walked off, confused as before.

But now their time was up and they gathered with the band of Trainers around the Challenge Rock, eager for the Tournament to begin.

"Trainers, before we begin, let me introduce to you the prize for today's winner." The organizer stood on the Challenge Rock with a Poké Ball in his hand. "Behold: the rare Pokémon promised to the winner of the Challenge Rock Tournament!"

He tossed the Ball high into the air. As it hit the ground, a Pokémon emerged. The crowd gasped in wonder at what appeared to be some sort of gold-colored insect Pokémon.

"What's that?" Hilda asked. She pulled out her Pokédex.

"_Venipede, the Centipede Pokémon. Venipede discovers what is happening around it by using the feelers on its head and tail. It is brutally aggressive and its bite injects a potent poison."_

"Hang on," Hilda wondered aloud. "Something's weird here." She showed the picture of Venipede to Cheren. "The Venipede in my Pokédex is magenta! Why is that one _gold_?"

"Ah!" Cheren's eyes widened in delight. "It's an alternate-colored Pokémon!"

"Alternate?" asked Hilda. "So… there are Pokémon with different colors?"

"Yes," explained Cheren, "and they are _extremely_ rare."

"Still," replied Hilda, "rare or not, that Venipede looks like it could be kind of powerful."

"You're quite right," confirmed Cheren. "While Bug-types like Venipede are usually ridiculed as weaker Pokémon, I've heard that Venipede can evolve into a very strong Pokémon if you train it well. A special-colored one would make it look all the more threatening in a battle." He gazed hungrily at the Venipede up on the Challenge Rock.

_Sorry to tread on your footsteps, Cheren_, Hilda thought to herself, _but that Venipede is mine. May the best Trainer win, but no hard feelings along the way._

The town clock from Nacrene City chimed in the distance. It chimed ten times.

"Trainers," the organizer cried, "let the tournament begin!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Come on out, Herdier! We're gonna tame this Minccino one way or another!" Bianca tossed out her recently-evolved Pokémon, eyes gleaming. With this renewal of energy, she was much more prepared to take on the chinchilla, as well as wary of its unknown abilities.

Herdier barked, charging without a single command. Ethan had to hand it to her; Bianca knew how to train her Pokémon.

Minccino was thrown off-guard by the sudden attack. Barely registering what was happening, it took a direct hit from Herdier's Take Down attack. The dog Pokémon whimpered slightly as it took recoil damage, but was otherwise unharmed.

"Be careful," Hilbert called. "Herdier can't use Take Down too many times in a row."

"I've got it sorted," Bianca called back. "Herdier, strike it while it's down with Crunch!"

But Minccino feinted. Without warning, it fired a white orb of light that absorbed Herdier. As Herdier's body began glowing white, Ethan recognized Minccino's trump card attack: Encore.

All of a sudden, Herdier changed its attack. Instead of baring its teeth, it charged once more with Take Down.

"No, Herdier!" Bianca cried; she had forgotten about Minccino's Encore attack. Her cry was in vain, though. Herdier continued charging at Minccino, who stepped nimbly out of the way. Herdier continued running until it ran headlong into a nearby tree trunk.

Bianca gritted her teeth in frustration. Minccino had gotten one over her yet again. Herdier was taking serious damage, not only from the tree, but from its recoil damage as well. Within moments, it had prepared to attack with Take Down once more.

"Watch out!" Danielle cried.

But Bianca was ready. As Herdier charged towards Minccino, she readied herself. "Keep going, Herdier," she encouraged calmly, never taking her eyes off Minccino. _Almost_… _almost_…

Minccino bounced and Bianca seized her chance. "OK, Herdier, rebound off that tree and hit it from behind!"

"Huh?" Ethan exclaimed. Herdier charged headlong into a tree trunk once more, only this time it bounced and propelled itself off the trunk, sustaining its momentum. Minccino never saw the attack coming. Herdier soared and struck its back directly. Both Pokémon hit the ground roughly.

Bianca wasted no time. With a grunt, she tossed out a Poké Ball. It caught Minccino by surprise, swallowing the Pokémon in a flash of red light. Ethan grabbed the opportunity to rush over, swiping up his Poké Ball and the cross-transceiver. He whirled around just in time to see Bianca recall an exhausted Herdier and her new Minccino.

"I don't understand," Hilbert asked her. "Why did you catch it if it was bothering you so much?"

"Because I want to tame it," she told him. "I know that if I can turn Minccino's bad habits into an advantage, I can make it really powerful. Plus, it's pretty cute. I've kinda had a thing for it ever since the Professor used it against Cheren."

"An interesting idea," commented Danielle. "You may be right about taming it, Bianca."

"Well, now I have three Pokémon," Bianca said happily. "Now all I need is a little more training and I'll be ready for that Gym challenge."

"Speaking of training," Ethan put in, "I'll need to spend some time with _my _third Pokémon before that battle." As Tirtouga emerged from its Ball, the knot in Ethan's stomach eased immediately. The feelings of guilt began to fade knowing that he had saved his scared little Pokémon. Tirtouga cawed nervously at first, unfamiliar with its surroundings, but as Ethan stroked it, Tirtouga started to smile contentedly. _My third Pokémon_. The phrase seemed so strange in his mind. _I guess I've gotten used to just myself, Deino and Rufflet for so long._ Convinced that this new blood wouldn't hurt, Ethan welcomed his new Pokémon with open arms. _Thank God you're alright, Tirtouga._ He sighed in relief.

"So I guess you'll be staying out here for a while now, huh?" asked Bianca. "What with training Tirtouga and all?"

"I guess so," answered Ethan. "If you need to train Minccino, why not stay with me for a while?"

Bianca smiled. "Sure. Why not?"

"Well, I think I'll go to Pinwheel Forest now," said Hilbert. "I'd like to do some training there, as well as watch Hilda and Cheren in that Challenge Rock thing."

"Ooh, that's right!" Danielle gushed. "The Challenge Rock Tournament is on right now, isn't it? I'd love to go watch!"

"Why don't you two head over there?" Ethan asked. "If you're quick, you'll make it in time."

"Hang on!" Bianca interrupted. "Take some of this stuff before the Minccino come back to steal it again. If you get it to the Pokémon Center, you can leave it for the Trainers to collect their missing stuff."

"Will do," replied Hilbert, stuffing handfuls of the stolen goods into his backpack. "Catch you guys later." He left the way they had come.

"Goodbye, Ethan! I hope we meet again!" Danielle cried, following after Hilbert with a handful of junk in her arms. Ethan sighed inwardly. This girl seemed uncomfortably interested in him. Eager to change the subject, he turned to Bianca. "Do you really think you'll be able to tame Minccino?"

"It'll take some work," she answered after a while. "It's gotten into some bad habits. As long as I keep all my stuff clean, it won't try and steal any of it. So that's a start, I guess."

Ethan laughed. Somehow, Bianca keeping _anything_ neat and tidy seemed impossible. His thoughts were interrupted by a rustling in the nearby bushes. "Do you hear that?" he asked.

Bianca nodded in reply. "I've got a feeling those Minccino didn't run away as far as we think." She pulled some Oran Berries out of her backpack. "Pignite, you'd better get ready to battle again."

"What do you think, Tirtouga?" Ethan asked his new companion. "You ready for your first battle?"

Tirtouga nodded resolutely, growling at the oncoming Minccino.

"Then let's go."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**


	23. Chapter 23: All That Glitters

Chapter 23: All That Glitters

The town clock from Nacrene City chimed in the distance. It chimed ten times.

"Trainers," the organizer cried, "let the tournament begin!"

Hilda looked around wildly, confused. She was relieved to see that not only Cheren, but the whole crowd were utterly bewildered as to what happened next.

Eventually, a small boy stepped forward. Hilda recognized him as one of the weaker Trainers she had spoken to earlier, trying to talk herself down. With a quivering hand, he placed his palm on the Challenge Rock and stood there, facing the silent crowd.

One moment's silence, then there was a stampede. Nearly a dozen powerful Trainers had scrambled through the crowd, intent on sealing their first challenge with this clearly novice boy. Hilda snorted derisively.

"Pathetic, isn't it?" Cheren remarked.

"You could say that, yeah," Hilda agreed.

"Strategic, sure," he continued. "I mean, I get what they're trying to do. But seeing them bolt like that was just…" He trailed off and sighed. "They really don't get it, do they? By chasing after the weaker Trainers, they're making them_selves_ look desperate for wins. That makes stronger Trainers like us want to fight them and beat them at their own game."

Hilda had to hand it to Cheren; he really understood the subtleties behind everything. "The crowd's thinning," she commented. "Maybe we should start challenging now."

Cheren gazed around. Most of the Trainers had formed several lines depending on who they wanted to challenge. "I guess you're right," he consented. "We've only got four hours to rack up as many wins as we can. Let's go. Hopefully we don't end up battling each other."

They took their place in different lines. Due to the large number of Trainers competing, they made their challenge clear by marking groves into the Challenge Rock. Challengers were careful to mark the exact same spot as the Trainer beforehand, just to be sure of who they challenged. Hilda was extremely cautious when observing who marked where. This proved difficult as the Challenge Rock was well-worn with marks from previous tournaments. Despite this, she managed to keep her eye on the one she wanted and ended up with two comfortable wins against an overly confident ten-year-old and a scrawny-looking boy from Nimbasa City. Her third win was significantly more challenging, due to a lack of concentration on the challenge markings. Ending up against a burly eighteen-year-old with a Pokémon she'd never seen, Hilda barely managed a win, losing Oshawott in the process.

_Thank God for Hypnosis_, she thought to herself; Munna had been her saving grace against the boy's Sawk. For convenience's sake, a makeshift healing booth had been set up at the back of the venue. The lines were packed and Hilda was sure she lost nearly half an hour of battling due to the waiting time. When she finally returned to the Challenge Rock with both Pokémon fully healed, half the original crowd had disappeared. Puzzled, she sought out Cheren, who was boasting his fifth win.

"Where are all the Trainers?" she asked.

"Gone," he replied simply. "It seems that when they've lost so many times, they just give up and go home. They realize they can't win, so they don't bother participating."

"But… that just makes it an elimination tournament!" Hilda said incredulously.

"Interesting, isn't it?" Cheren commented scornfully. "By my reckoning, of the eighty or so Trainers that arrived, we're down to about twenty-five."

Hilda strode over to the Challenge Rock. If there were only twenty-five left… she needed to rack up more wins and quickly.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Cheren watched her stomp away to the Challenge Rock. After watching her leave, he returned to battling. Scoping out a particularly average Trainer, Cheren commenced his sixth win. Thanks to his observations, Cheren hadn't battled many powerful Trainers this morning. Knowing that the stronger ones would hang around for longer, he purposefully challenged as many weaklings as he could find before they gave up and went home. Now that the pool of Trainers had thinned dramatically, he was scraping for Trainers beneath him. As he sent the poor boy scurrying in defeat, Cheren knew that he was out of easy wins. _It's all uphill from here_, he told himself.

Nevertheless, he held his own quite magnificently, he felt. After winning a particularly challenging battle against a brawny eighteen-year-old with a Throh, Cheren was feeling confident that he was, or was at least close to, leading the competition.

The hours passed by. During this time, the event organizer had set up a temporary scoreboard displaying the top ten Trainers. For the purposes of the tournament, no faces were shown: only names. Cheren was pleased to see that he was tied in the top two with ten wins. Equal second was a boy named Jake with ten wins as well. When Cheren saw first place, however, he choked and spluttered in indignation.

"_1__st__ place – Hilda, 11 wins," _read the scoreboard.

_Eleven?!_ Cheren thought furiously. _How the hell did she get eleven wins off weak Trainers?! There aren't any left!_

Looking around, he discovered that there were no more nervous-looking Trainers competing. Counting, there would have been only twelve Trainers left and they all looked strong, which meant that Hilda must have been good enough to beat the strong Trainers. Looking at the timer on the scoreboard, Cheren saw that he had less than one hour before the end of the tournament.

_I need that Venipede! _He told himself. _I'll win it, whatever I have to do._

He marched over to the Challenge Rock to declare another battle, but-

"Time out!" called the organizer, beaming. "Let's give our remaining competitors a hand, shall we folks?"

The final twelve Trainers stood apart from each other, no doubt scoping out their next victim. Cheren caught the eye of one particularly brutal-looking young girl; she stared at him viciously.

"Now," continued the organizer, "let's review the scoreboard, shall we? Hmm… it looks like Hilda, _whoever he or she is_, has a comfortable lead over the others." He read the scoreboard, pausing momentarily. "I wonder if… Jake and Cheren can catch up to her. Let's give our competitors another round of applause as they take a fifteen minute break to rest their Pokémon and their minds, shall we?"

Cheren stomped over to the makeshift Pokémon Center. _That girl looked dangerous_, he thought nervously. _I don't feel too confident about challenging her right now._

He looked over and noticed Hilda wrenching her hand from the firm grasp of another challenger. From the angry look on his face, Cheren guessed that Hilda had denied his challenge.

And then, it hit him. _This just might work_, he told himself.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The Minccino were all but defeated. The few that remained trembled at the sight of Pignite and Tirtouga. They scurried away in defeat.

"Ha!" laughed Bianca. "That was too easy!"

Ethan had to agree. After catching one, Bianca seemed to understand how to fight a Minccino. The battle opened up some new strategies for Tirtouga as well. Ethan quickly learned Tirtouga's moveset and crafted a winning strategy. "That Badge is as good as ours, Tirtouga," he said cheerfully.

"So what will you do now?" Bianca asked.

"Train a little more," he replied. "I've come up with an idea. If it works, then I can train all three of my Pokémon at once."

"What? No way!" Bianca said in disbelief.

"It's true!" Ethan insisted. "It came to me just before. Watch this."

He sent out Deino and Rufflet. The two Pokémon noticed Tirtouga and bounced around happily.

"Alright guys!" Ethan said. "I need you three to work together, so let's get to it!" He pointed to a nearby tree that had several apples hanging off its branches. "Rufflet, you start off. Peck an apple off that tree once so that it falls to the ground."

Rufflet squawked, charging headfirst at a branch. It locked on to an apple and soared upwards, striking it cleanly with its beak. The apple fell neatly to the ground.

"Good job, Rufflet," said Ethan proudly. "Now, Tirtouga, I want you to knock one out the tree using your Ancient Power attack. Give it your best shot!"

Tirtouga cawed, its body glowing white. The white light then materialized into a silver ball in front of Tirtouga's body. With a growl, Tirtouga slapped the ball with its flipper, sending the ball of light straight for the tree. Just before it struck, however, the ball shattered into dozens of rock shards.

Tirtouga hit not only one, but all of the apples on the tree with its attack.

Ethan watched the dozen or so apples hit the ground, impressed. "Tirtouga, that was amazing! How did you aim that so perfectly?"

Bianca answered him. "It says on my Pokédex," she replied, "that most Pokémon revived from Fossils can learn Ancient Power. Since they're _from_ ancient times, their version of the attack is much more powerful and precise than other Pokémon that can learn it."

"Wow." Ethan was stunned. "Nice work, Tirtouga!"

Tirtouga croaked contentedly.

"Moving on," Ethan said. "Deino, I need you to use Dragon Breath on that apple. You can only hit _that_ apple, though. We need to practise hitting smaller targets."

Deino growled, sucking in air. Then, it roared, exhaling a mighty gust of purple flame. The attack was concentrated, though, and was quite thin. However, Deino's aim was true and it knocked off one apple, leaving only a slight burn mark on the branch.

"Yes! You did it, Deino!" Ethan was incredibly proud of his Pokémon.

Bianca was impressed as well. "That was pretty good," she complimented. "But can you make it even harder for them?"

"Sure I can!" Ethan responded. "Alright, guys, here's what we need to do." He pointed to one apple in the tree. "I want all three of you to use that same attack, but only on the same apple. So: Rufflet, I want you to use Peck and get the apple off its branch. Tirtouga, knock it high into the air with your Ancient Power attack. Finally, Deino, use Dragon Breath to scorch that apple until there's nothing left, OK?"

He repeated his instructions slowly to make sure they understood. Eventually, they were ready to go.

"Alright, Rufflet, use Peck!" Ethan barked.

Rufflet dived downwards, tearing the apple off the branch. However, it took too long to come out of its dive. It cried out, skidding into the ground.

"Stop!" Ethan called. "Rufflet, you need to get out of the way as fast as you can. Otherwise, Tirtouga has to wait. We need to work together so we can hit small, fast-moving targets."

Rufflet squawked softly. Ethan could tell it was disappointed. "Never mind," he said bracingly, helping the little bird back on its feet. "We've got plenty of time. You just need to keep practising, that's all. OK, guys, let's try it again!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Cheren looked at the timer. With twenty minutes to go, he was satisfied to see that with his three extra wins, he was now equal first place with Hilda with thirteen points.

_Twenty minutes_, he thought to himself. _More than enough time for one more battle._

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Hilda approaching the Challenge Rock. She scratched out a marking on the rock, signaling a challenge.

Quick as a flash, Cheren dashed over, making his own mark on top of Hilda's. "Hilda, I challenge you!" he called fiercely.

She turned around, smirking. "I hoped you would," she responded. "It looks like our final match will be a tie-breaker. What do you say to a two-on-two battle?"

"Just what I wanted," Cheren replied.

They made their way to a vacant field, taking their places on opposite sides. A small group of Trainers crowded around them, chattering excitedly.

"I'm going to win that Venipede, Hilda," Cheren called out. "I hope you know that."

"Well, I'm afraid I'll disappoint you," Hilda answered, "because you'll have to beat me in order to win that Venipede."

"What? Is that all?" he responded mockingly.

"Very funny," she said, unamused. "But you won't be smiling for long."

"We'll see who laughs in the end, don't you worry about that," Cheren finished.

_He's got Servine_, Hilda thought to herself, _so I can't lead with Oshawott. All I can do is-_

"Let's get started," said Hilda calmly, tossing out her first Poké Ball. "Munna, I'm leading with you."

Munna burst out, chanting under its breath. Hilda knew that when Munna was calm, it was at its most dangerous. _Hopefully this'll throw Cheren off-guard, _she thought to herself.

"Is that all?" Cheren scoffed. "No mercy, then. Servine, let's go!"

Servine emerged, hissing.

"Start it off with Vine Whip," Cheren said.

Vines extended from Servine's collar, feeling for Munna. They struck hard and fast on the little pink Pokémon, who screeched.

"Hang in there, Munna," Hilda encouraged. "Knock the vines away with Zen Headbutt."

Munna managed to focus hard enough to charge headlong into the vines. They went flying back, retracting back into Servine.

"Nice deflect," Cheren remarked, "but it won't be enough to stop me. Servine, Leaf Tornado."

Servine whipped up a gust of wind that swallowed the field. Munna was sucked into the tornado, whirling around and around. Finally, it spat out Munna, who was sent rolling.

"That must've hurt," Hilda muttered. "Munna, use Moonlight!"

Munna's body glowed as it absorbed black light. When the glow had subsided, Munna was healthy once again.

"Time to get on the offensive, Munna," Hilda said resolutely. "Use Hypnosis!"

Waves emitted from Munna, pulsating across the field. Within moments, they had surrounded Servine, who slowly fell to the ground, fast asleep.

"Not good," Cheren murmured to himself. "Servine, wake up!"

"Too late," Hilda interrupted. "Munna, hit it with Psybeam!"

Munna sent more purple waves surging. These ones struck Servine who, even while asleep, furrowed its brow in pain.

"Now, send a Zen Headbutt its way, Munna," Hilda continued. "And use Hypnosis as soon as it looks like its waking up," she added for good measure.

Cheren was dumbfounded. Seeing Munna recover after Servine's attack had dropped his guard for one moment and then… Now he was at a major disadvantage. "Servine, you've got to get up now!"

Munna struck once more. Servine was taking a lot of damage. Pretty soon it would-

Servine raised its head, alert.

"Nice job," Cheren said gratefully. _This would be a good time to show off that move we learned the other day_, he thought to himself. "Servine, let's try out that new move. Mega Drain!"

Seeds shot from Servine's collar. They struck Munna, expanding and entangling the Pokémon.

"No!" Hilda cried. All she could do was watch, dumbstruck. Servine sent its vines out. The vines attached themselves to the trapped Munna and began absorbing its power. Once it was over, Servine was looking much healthier, while Munna looked worse for wear.

"Shake it off, Munna," Hilda warned her Pokémon. "Psybeam, once again!"

Servine, who was still retracting its vines, wasn't expecting the fast attack. The waves struck the Grass-type Pokémon once more. Once the attack had finished, however, Servine became dizzy and tottered from side to side.

_It's confused_, Cheren thought bitterly. _Damn_. "Servine, Leaf Tornado!"

Servine struggled to keep its balance, let alone conjure up an attack. Instead, its tail suddenly whipped up from behind and smacked around the head.

"Nice work, Munna," Hilda praised. "Keep it up with Zen Headbutt!"

Munna struck and struck again. Servine just couldn't muster up the strength to fight back. With a final Zen Headbutt from Munna, it fell backwards and hit the ground, down for the count.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The Trainers gathered around gasped in admiration. They weren't expecting Servine to fall to a little Pokémon like Munna.

"Hilbert, I think I've found them," called Danielle. "Is that them?"

Hilbert raced over to where she was pointing. "Yeah, that's them!" he responded. They pushed their way to the front of the crowd and surveyed the scene before them.

Hilda and Cheren were in the middle of battling. From the looks of it, Cheren's Servine had fallen at the hands of Munna. After asking around, Hilbert and Danielle gathered that either Hilda or Cheren would win the tournament based on this battle.

"Well, that's good!" Danielle said brightly. "It looks like your sister is about to win, then!"

Hilbert didn't reply with a smile. "I'm not so sure," he said. "I've learned never to underestimate Cheren."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"I hope you don't think I'm done yet," Cheren called from across the field.

"I didn't think you were," replied Hilda.

"Good," responded Cheren, "because I'm not going to fight any weaker. Pidove, you're up!"

The bird Pokémon cooed as, flying circles around Cheren's head.

"Air Cutter, Pidove, and don't stop attacking until Munna is down!"

Pidove slashed its wings. Cross-shaped waves of blue energy rained down on Munna from on high. Munna was caught unaware from the attack above, each attack striking it directly.

Hilda gritted her teeth. This was going to be difficult, thanks to Munna's weakness to direct attacks. "Munna, restore some energy with Moonlight!"

"Oh, no you don't!" Cheren countered. "Pidove, Quick Attack!"

Pidove dived down at top speed. Before Munna could begin taking in energy, Pidove had struck a clean blow once again. The attack knocked Munna out of the air and it landed painfully on its back. It didn't get up.

Hilda sighed. "Return," she called, holding out her Poké Ball. "Good shot," she conceded to Cheren, over the applauding of the crowd.

"That's not all," Cheren cried back. "Look!"

Pidove was glowing. It cried out as it began to evolve. Soon, the white light enveloped its body and it soared upwards, taller and more powerful. Cheren was grinning from ear to ear. The crowd gasped in surprise.

"You've _got _to be joking," fumed Hilda.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Rufflet was making progress. Its Peck was becoming stronger and more accurate. Soon, it was able to dive out of the way. Before too long, Ethan managed to get his Pokémon to coordinate a three-way attack on a moving target. Meanwhile, Bianca was playing with her Minccino; it was slowly improving its Doubleslap and Swift attacks.

"Let's try it once more!" Ethan said happily. "Are you all ready?"

The three Pokémon growled in reply.

"OK. Rufflet, use Peck on that apple!"

Rufflet dived straight for the apple. However, something was different. Ethan could see it. The Flying-type was charging much faster. It was so fast; it looked like a blur in the sky.

Instinctively, Ethan reached for his Pokédex.

"_Aerial Ace. This Flying-type move makes Pokémon move incredibly fast, confounding their foes before striking."_

Bianca had stopped playing with Minccino to watch. "Rufflet's Peck attack must have turned into Aerial Ace!" she gasped in wonder.

Rufflet hit an entire branch of apples with lightning speed. Tirtouga took over immediately, sending rock shards hurtling towards the tree. Once again, Tirtouga's aim was incredibly accurate, spearing each of the dozen apples.

"Finish it off, Deino!" Ethan cried. Deino growled, spewing out flames that burnt each apple to a crisp. When Deino had finished, there were neither apples nor scorch marks left on the branch.

Ethan jumped in delight. "You did it!" he cried. "And with so many as well!" His Pokémon responded with yawning smiles. "OK, we should head back now. You guys are probably really tired after all that training, huh?" He turned to Bianca. "Ready to go?"

"Sure," she answered. "Minccino and I have become a lot closer today. Plus, Pignite and Herdier got some good training in earlier. I reckon they'll be hard to beat when I challenge Lenora."

"Same here," Ethan agreed. "Alright, let's call it a day and head back."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"_Tranquil, the Wild Pidgeon Pokémon. Tranquil can return to its Trainer regardless of how far away they are. They tend to live in peaceful places without conflict."_

Hilda pocketed her Pokédex. "We can do this, Oshawott," she said, steeling herself for the final battle. The little otter Pokémon squeaked courageously. "Razor Shell, now!"

Oshawott threw its scalchop like a discus, sending it sailing through the air towards Tranquil.

"Stop it with Gust!" Cheren countered.

Tranquil flapped its strong wings, kicking up a powerful gust of wind. It was enough to stop the scalchop in its path. At the last moment, Tranquil snatched it up with its talons.

"Good," Cheren said. "Now, send it back!"

Tranquil tossed the scalchop up into the air. As it came to fall, Tranquil unleashed an Air Cutter attack, sending the scalchop flying back down to Oshawott.

"Oshawott, make it rebound with Water Gun!" Hilda panicked.

Oshawott spat out several blasts of water. The attacks were enough to slow the scalchop and then send it hurtling back toward Tranquil.

The battle had, without a doubt, become an incredibly strange game of tennis. The crowd gazed, impressed at the unique display of attacking.

The two Pokémon continued sending the scalchop back and forth. However, Tranquil began to descend, closing the gap between it and Oshawott. The attacks and counterattacks grew faster and more desperate. The signs of strain were definitely showing on Tranquil, who was struggling to stay up in the air while fending off the scalchop with its wings.

"Your Tranquil is getting slower!" Hilda called out triumphantly. "It looks like this battle is nearly over!"

"So is your Oshawott!" Cheren countered. "We both know that whoever takes this attack goes down!"

_Tranquil can't keep this up_, Cheren thought despairingly. _Is there anything I can do?_  
>In desperation, he pulled out his Pokédex and scanned Tranquil for its new moveset. <em>There must be something here. I know that Flying-types can sometimes learn-<em>

"Tranquil, land and use Roost!" Cheren ordered.

Tranquil obeyed. While using the last of its strength to send the scalchop back, it touched down on land and began to restore energy.

"What?!" Hilda cried. She hadn't been expecting that. _This must be one of its new moves_, she thought furiously. She looked at her own Pokémon in desperation. It wouldn't be able to keep fighting like this. She had to end it.

Its energy restored, Tranquil struck the scalchop back with another Air Cutter. Hilda made her decision. "Oshawott, use Fury Cutter and send your scalchop to the ground!"

With perfect timing, Oshawott struck the scalchop with its paws, sending it uselessly to the side. And now, Hilda realized her mistake. _I've left it defenseless!_

Cheren grinned in triumph. "Finish this off with Quick Attack, Tranquil!"

Hilda barely registered the command when Tranquil struck. Oshawott wobbled for a few moments before it sank to the ground, completely out of energy and defeated.

Tranquil soared over, landing by Cheren's side. He stroked his new Pokémon gratefully. "We won, Tranquil," he said simply.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The Challenge Rock Tournament came to an end soon after. Having won the extra point, Cheren was crowned the victor. What little that remained of the crowd applauded politely, then departed immediately. Hilda conceded her defeat and congratulated Cheren humbly, along with Hilbert and Danielle.

"It was a great battle," he complimented Hilda. "You're a skilled Trainer." She smiled gratefully.

"Excuse me," said a voice. "I believe this is yours."

It was the organizer. He held a Poké Ball in his greasy fingers. "Your prize for winning the tournament," he said, before leaving abruptly, almost running.

"Go on then, show us!" Hilda insisted.

Cheren tossed the Poké Ball high. When it landed, out came the golden Venipede.

"Wow, a different-colored Venipede!" Danielle gasped. "That's very rare!"

"That was weird," commented Hilbert. "If that was the prize, why didn't he make a bigger deal of presenting it?"

No one could answer his question.

"We'd better get back to Nacrene City," warned Hilda. "From the looks of it, it's going to rain soon. I'd much rather be indoors when it starts."

No one challenged her.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

It seemed that the answer to Hilbert's question came sooner than they thought.

"Ugh!" Hilda sighed as the rain began pouring down on them. "I _hate _the rain!"

"It's fine!" Danielle said upliftingly. "Just think of all the wonderful plant Pokémon that get to take in all the water to grow and be strong!"

"Yeah, well, I'll be taking in plenty of water pretty soon," Hilda grumbled in response.

"You know what?" said Cheren. "That's a good idea, Danielle. If Servine and Venipede get some water, they could grow a bit more and get stronger!" He called out his two Pokémon. "I – huh?"

The others noticed it straight away.

"Um… what's happening to Venipede?" Hilbert asked.

The gold Bug-type Pokémon was melting. Well, not exactly _melting_. But it looked as though it was shedding its gold skin. Hilda touched it to make sure it was alright. She threw her hand back in surprise.

"It's _paint_!" she cried. "This Venipede isn't gold! It's just been _painted_!"

Hilbert and Danielle gasped. Hilda cursed loudly.

But Cheren just sighed and laughed. "I guess that's why he left so quickly, Hilbert," he said, answering the boy's earlier question.

"Aren't… aren't you angry?" Hilda asked, confused.

"It's OK," Cheren said humbly. "At least we know now rather than later. Besides, I competed for Venipede because I cared about it. I'm not too fussy about its color."

Hilda looked at the others blankly. "Well… alright, if you're OK with it, I guess." She shrugged her shoulders and helped scrub the rest of the gold paint off Venipede, exposing its magenta belly beneath. She placed Venipede in Cheren's hands. "Come on!" she cried, as they came in sight of Nacrene City. "Let's get to the Pokémon Center! We're getting soaked!"

"So, what are you going to do now?" Hilbert asked Cheren as they watched Hilda take off without them.

"Take on Lenora," he replied simply. "I think I'm ready for another Gym challenge. Plus, I need to stay ahead of you guys. What kind of Champion would lag behind?" He smirked before taking off for the Pokémon Center, overtaking Hilda and leaving the others in his wake.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**


	24. Chapter 24: Scars, Both New and Old

Chapter 24: Scars, Both New and Old

"I'm sorry, sir, but you cannot make a challenge today," the receptionist interrupted firmly.

Ethan goggled at her. "Seriously? She's too busy to make time for an extra Gym Battle?" he protested.

The receptionist responded wordlessly; instead, she pointed to the nearby Gym schedule. "There," she replied stiffly. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to get back to work."

Ethan and Hilbert examined the board. Beneath the names of the three challengers, it read in large letters, "DUE TO THE GYM LEADER'S WORK COMMITMENTS, ONLY THREE CHALLENGERS A DAY WILL BE PERMITTED A GYM BATTLE".

"Great," Ethan grumbled. "Now we'll be a full day behind the others."

"Relax," said Hilbert. "They haven't won the Badge yet."

Ethan read their names once more. First up was Cheren. _Of course_, he thought to himself. He was probably in the middle of his match right now. Ethan had no desire to watch, though. Frustrated that his intensive training still put him behind the others, he had no choice but to wait until tomorrow to try for the Basic Badge. Bianca and Hilda would be battling after Cheren, which meant that they were ahead of Ethan, too.

"Take a look at this," Hilbert said. He pointed to the counter, where an electronic screen displayed the schedule of previous challengers, as well as their victory or defeat. Ethan spotted Guy's name amongst the litter of Trainers, along with his broadcasted defeat. "Hang on," he murmured, quickly scanning the list of names. There, having won his Gym battle, read a familiar name: Riley.

"D'you think that's the same as _our_ Riley?" Hilbert asked.

"Maybe," Ethan thought aloud. He hadn't seen Riley in a long time, after his friend had chosen to stay and work at the Striaton Trainers' School for a time. It was certainly possible that he had resumed his journey. "That must mean that he's challenging Gyms as well."

"I certainly am," a voice replied. Ethan whirled around to see the beaming face of Riley.

"No way!" Ethan breathed, grinning. His smile soon turned into a grimace, however, as he looked closely. "Oh my God, what happened to you?!"

Riley smiled ruefully. "Ah, this," he replied, pointing to his face; he was unmistakably sporting a black eye. "I'm afraid I had another run-in with our friend from Striaton City."

Ethan recalled his conversation with Guy the other day; he had mentioned something about seeing Riley again and that he had "gotten off worse".

Ethan clenched his fists. "Yeah, I heard. He had a go at us the other day, but Bianca took him down at the Battle Club," he explained.

"Really?" said Riley. "Well, I'm very glad to hear that."

"So, what have you been up to?" Hilbert asked. "The last I heard was that you and Ethan split up in Striaton City."

"It's a bit of a long story, I'm afraid," he answered. "Shall we sit down first?"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"After what happened at the Trainers' School, things calmed down," Riley explained. "He became more subdued and didn't terrorize the others while I was around. But I couldn't be there all the time, you see. I had other things on my mind, like taking on the Striaton Gym. In between looking out for people at the Trainers' School, I would sometimes leave for intensive training with Riolu. It was during these occasions that Guy went back to threatening everyone.

I arrived at the Trainers' School in the afternoon to find him shoving a girl around. You could tell something was wrong with her. She wore some kind of mask over her face."

"A mask?" Hilbert repeated. "Why was she wearing that?"

Riley hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "She… she was… disfigured. Anyway, Guy kept telling her to take off the mask so he could see what was wrong with her face. She kept telling him to leave her alone, but he wouldn't.

I felt awful for her, but no one was doing anything to help. They were all too terrified. I stepped in to try and stop him. That's how I got this," he added bitterly, pointing to his black eye. "He said that Riolu and I didn't belong in Unova and that no one should carry around freak Pokémon like that. That's when Rebecca stepped in."

"Rebecca?" asked Ethan. "Was she the one he was-?"

Riley nodded. "She hit him back." His mouth curved upwards in a slight smile. "That was probably the only good thing about the incident. Anyway, I led her out of there before things got even more out of hand.

I told her to stay away from the School, at least until Guy had left. Fortunately for her, that wasn't long. He graduated and set off and that's the last I've seen of him since. Seeing as you met up with him here, I can only guess he's taking the League challenge as well.

In the meantime, I spent more time with Rebecca, getting to know her. Have you two ever heard of the Hoenn region?"

Hilbert shook his head blankly. Ethan, however, nodded slowly. He had heard occasional snippets of information from Cynthia.

"It's some kind of coastal region," Riley explained. "Apparently, she's from there, before she moved to Unova after her accident."

"Her accident?" Ethan asked. "Is that how she became disfigured?"

"Yes," nodded Riley. "She wouldn't say much about it, except that she was attacked by a poacher. The scars never healed and she's been reclusive ever since. She said that I was one of the few people who could stand to be around her."

"That's awful," Hilbert said sadly. "So she doesn't have any friends?"

"Not a whole lot," answered Riley. "Any friends she had were left behind when she moved here from northern Unova a month ago."

_Northern Unova? A month ago?_ Ethan thought. _That's just like me!_ "So, what happened next? Where is she now?"

"She left the Trainers' School after I challenged the Striaton Gym," Riley replied. "Apparently, she'd had enough of the place and wanted to go on another journey. I invited her to travel with me."

"So, she's in Nacrene City now?" Hilbert asked.

"She is," answered Riley. "In fact, she's at the Pokémon Center right now. Would you like to meet her?"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The nurse handed Riley's Pokémon over, fully healed. He thanked her and led Ethan and Hilbert over to the corner of the room. There sat an older girl, perhaps sixteen years old with blue eyes and tanned skin. She wore a half mask over her the left side of her face. She looked up and smiled as Riley approached. Her face fell, however, when she saw Ethan and Hilbert. "Riley, who are they?" she asked coldly.

"It's alright, Rebecca," Riley said calmly. "These are friends of mine. This is Ethan and Hilbert."

"Hi," Ethan said meekly.

"Hello," added Hilbert.

Rebecca glared at them for a moment. "If you want to see my scars, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed," she said coolly. "Nothing personal. I haven't shown it to Riley, either."

Ethan was disarmed. "Oh, uh, no, I wasn't going to-"

Seeing the looks on their faces, Rebecca began to snicker. "You can relax, you two, I'm only messing around." Her smile grew slightly warmer. "I'm Rebecca. I'm sure Riley's mentioned me to you already." She shook their hands. As she grasped Ethan's hand, her eyes wandered over to the Poké Balls on his waist. "Riley told me about you and your Pokémon, Ethan. Very unusual, especially for a rookie Trainer."

"You mean Deino and Rufflet?" replied Ethan. "Yeah, I guess they're not exactly common."

"An oddity," she agreed. "Not unlike myself. And not unlike Riley's Pokémon, wouldn't you say?" she smirked, a little sardonically.

"I, uh…" Ethan stammered. He had no idea how to work a conversation with this girl. Helpless, he turned to Hilbert for advice, but Hilbert looked as startled as he did.

"Oh, come on, you _must_ know what people say about Riolu!" Rebecca laughed. "Freak, weird, foreign, all that."

"Oh! Oh, I see what you mean," Ethan said in understanding. "Yeah, Riley hasn't had the easiest time making it through Unova." He looked up at Riley, who smiled wryly in response.

"Yes, neither have I," Rebecca replied sadly. "I'm sure you've noticed, but I'm not the best at making friends." She laughed at the mingled look of discomfort and confusion on the boys' faces. "Luckily, I have a friend in Jethro."

"Jethro?" Hilbert asked. "Who's he?"

"Why, Jethro is why I have to wear this mask!" Rebecca answered. She retrieved a Poké Ball from her pocket. "Here, come and meet him!"

She opened her Poké Ball and a green Snivy burst out.

"Oh, Jethro is your Snivy!" Hilbert realized.

Rebecca raised an eyebrow. "Is he?"

All of a sudden, Snivy began to bulge outward and warp its body. Ethan gaped in confusion and shock. Before long, the green snake had morphed into a completely different Pokémon. It was a skinny black fox with a long mane of hair, tied to resemble a ponytail.

"Hey!" Hilbert gasped. "I know what that is. It's a Zoroark!"

Curious and unsettled, Ethan whipped out his Pokédex.

"_Zoroark, the Illusion Fox Pokémon. Zoroark has the ability to change its appearance to fool a large group of people. They protect their lairs with illusory scenery."_

"That- that's incredible!" Ethan cried. "A Pokémon that can change its appearance at will?"

"Yes, Jethro and I are the best of friends," Rebecca smiled. "He was my first Pokémon and I'll never let him go."

"So, you nickname your Pokémon?" Hilbert asked. "That's interesting."

"Well, I have a good reason for doing so," explained Rebecca. "I don't have many friends, so I make a habit of nicknaming all of my Pokémon, to personalize them to me and me alone."

"Hang on," interrupted Ethan. "How come the Zoroark in my Pokédex looks different to Jethro?"

Rebecca gave a knowing smile. "That's because Jethro is a special color. You see how his mane is that shade of purple? A regular Zoroark has a red mane. Mine is what you'd call a 'special color'. He's just like me: a peculiarity in our band of misfits." She ran a hand through Jethro's soft fur; Jethro hummed quietly in satisfaction. At the same time, she brushed a hand through her own lavender hair.

"But, you seem to really like Jethro," Hilbert remarked. "Didn't you say he was the reason for your mask?"

Rebecca sighed ruefully. "Jethro is not _the _reason, so much as _a _reason. But it's not his fault. I don't hold anything against him. Besides, it turned out that Jethro and I were meant to be together. After all, he can change his appearance at will. Ever since the accident, all I've ever wanted is to do the same." Her eyes travelled downwards as she caressed her butterfly necklace sadly.

"That's awful," sympathized Ethan. "I'm so sorry, Rebecca."

Rebecca shrugged her shoulders. "It's not the end of the world. As long as I've got my Pokémon, I can get by. To me, there is nothing more important for a Trainer than the bond between them and their Pokémon. I hope that you discover that over the course of your journey." She stood up. "I'm sorry to be rude, but I must be going now. My Pokémon and I would like to explore the city. Perhaps we will meet again, if you are such close friends with Riley." She nodded in farewell before drifting away, Jethro following loyally by her side.

"She seems… so sad," Ethan remarked forlornly.

"She hasn't had an easy upbringing," Riley explained. "But she's making the best of what she has. As should we. Now, I guess you two are going to challenge Lenora tomorrow. What about the others?"

"Cheren, Hilda and I were at the Challenge Rock tournament yesterday," Hilbert explained. "They raced back to sign up for a Gym battle. There's some kind of rivalry going between them."

"Meanwhile, Bianca and I were doing some intensive training for our weaker Pokémon," explained Ethan. "I came here to heal my team while she met up with the others at the museum. If I'd known there were a limited amount of spots daily, I would have signed up earlier. Now the others will be a day ahead of us."

"Not a problem," Riley assured him. "It doesn't matter who gets to the Pokémon League first, as long as you get there prepared. Why don't we head over to the Battle Club and you can do some last-minute training?"

Ethan shrugged his shoulders. "Couldn't hurt. Plus, you should check out our new Pokémon, Riley."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The rest of the day seemed a blur. Ethan and Hilbert staged mock battles to strengthen Tirtouga and Roggenrola. They suggested that Riley invite Rebecca, but he shook his head. "She prefers her space sometimes," he admitted. "There were times when we travelled in silence."

Ethan and Hilbert exchanged glances before resuming their training. Before too long, the Battle Club closed for the day and the three headed back to the Pokémon Center.

Upon arriving, they saw the familiar faces of Cheren, Bianca, Hilda and Danielle. They were all glad to see Riley, who introduced himself formally to Danielle. Bianca recoiled in horror once she saw Riley's black eye.

"What happened?" she shrieked.

"Oh, it's nothing," Riley replied cheerfully, with a dismissive wave of his hand. "From what I hear, you got revenge for me!" He laughed at the perplexed look on Bianca's face.

"So, how did it go today?" Ethan asked anxiously. _If all three of them are moving forward, then-_

Cheren, Bianca and Hilda looked at each other hesitantly before presenting three Basic Badges, beaming.

Ethan's jaw dropped. "You're kidding! All three of you?!"

"It was incredible!" gushed Danielle. "Even Lenora was impressed with their skills!"

"Oh, great," Ethan groaned, "Now Hilbert and I are lagging behind."

"Never mind," assured Hilda. "You'll have that Badge in no time. If Bianca can get it, I'm sure that you can."

Bianca placed her hands on her hips. "And what's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"It means 'you suck'," laughed Hilda. Bianca harrumphed as the two began to argue.

In the commotion that ensued, Ethan murmured in Riley's ear, "Should we be worried about Rebecca? She's not back yet."

Riley shook his head. "She'll be alright. She likes to take things at her own pace. She'll come back when she wants to come back." He turned away to rejoin the group conversation and Ethan was left to his thoughts.

_Maybe the three of us are more alike than I thought. I've been sent away from home. Rebecca's trying to adapt to a new world, too. She and Riley have their own scars! We've even got our own "weird" Pokémon. _

He kept his thoughts to himself. _Everyone seems to think that we're odd. I guess that's true. We've each got our own challenge to overcome. But if Riley and I found our own way, then she will, too._

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Early next morning, Ethan and Hilbert met outside the museum. The others had already set off for Castelia City, leaving nothing behind but a short message on the cross-transceiver.

They looked at each other, determined. This was it: no more stalling, no more mishaps, no more waiting. They were here for one thing and one thing only: the second Badge.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

_Author's note:_

_Hi again, readers, it's been so long! So, I brought Riley back. Why? Well, why not? Anyway, Part 3 is in sight, so that's cool. I've been on break for a month while I (finally) bought/finished/multiplayer-raped the hell out of Pokémon X, which was a blast. Now that I'm back, please please please read, review, PM ideas (the OC form is on my profile). I love feedback and people naturally love to criticize, so it's a match made in fanfic heaven. As always, thanks for reading and I hope you like the story! _


	25. Chapter 25: Back to Basics

Chapter 25: Back to Basics

"You want to go first?" Ethan asked.

Hilbert nodded, never taking his eyes off the Gym. "I'm ready."

They entered the museum and approached the front desk where the receptionist from yesterday sat.

"You're here to challenge Lenora, aren't you?" she asked, reading their minds.

"That's right," answered Hilbert. "I'd like to go first, followed by my friend."

The receptionist nodded. "Go right ahead. She'll be waiting for you."

Hilbert marched up the stairs, Ethan following close behind.

"Not you," the receptionist called out.

Ethan turned around, puzzled. "I'm sorry?"

"As an upcoming challenger, I cannot allow you to watch your friend's match. It would give you an unfair advantage over Lenora."

"That's ridiculous!" Ethan said, incredulous. "She's a Gym Leader! Surely she's good enough to overcome any disadvantage."

The receptionist shook her head. "I'm sorry, but those are the rules as enforced by the Pokémon League."

Sighing, Ethan turned to Hilbert. "I guess that means you're on your own."

Hilbert shrugged his shoulders. "Not a problem. I'll see you later."

Reluctantly, Ethan watched his friend disappear into the back room. He found a nearby bench and sat down. If all he could do was wait, now would be a good time to come up with strategies and counters for his impending battle.

He was deep in thought when his cross-transceiver began to beep. He answered the call as Riley's face popped up on his screen.

"Are you at the Gym?" he asked.

"Yeah. Hilbert's just gone in. I'm not allowed to watch, though."

"I'll be right over," he replied before ending the call.

Pocketing his cross-transceiver, Ethan ran through a list of possible Pokémon Lenora could have. _Cheren said she specialized in Normal-types_, he thought to himself. _What kinds of Normal-types have I already seen?_

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice Riley approaching until he was mere steps away. Following him was Rebecca.

"Was it hard?" Ethan asked Riley, now feeling the pressure. "To beat Lenora, I mean."

Riley smiled. "I can't really be the judge of that," he said. "I might have only had Riolu, but we had a type advantage the whole way through. That said, she had some strategies I'd never seen before. Be careful."

Riley opened his mouth to continue, but he was interrupted by the arrival of Danielle. She came rushing up the stairs, panting.

"I'm… sorry I'm late!" she breathed. "I slept in. I ran from as fast as I could, but … my home's on the other side of town."

"Hilbert's starting now, if you want to watch," said Riley.

"Is he?" she asked. "OK, I'll slip inside quickly."

She vanished into the Gym.

"Aren't you going to watch, too?" asked Ethan.

"Don't be silly!" Rebecca laughed. "You might not be battling, but you need our support just as much as Hilbert." She turned to Riley. "Look at him: he's pale as can be!"

"I… I am?" Ethan asked. He hadn't realized. Looking down, he saw that his palms were sweating.

"That's a good thing," Riley said reassuringly. "I'd be worried if you _weren't_ nervous about a Gym battle."

"I guess I just… really want to win this one," he said slowly. "I've yet to beat a Gym Leader on my first go." He trailed off, looking away into the distance. Riley and Rebecca took their places beside him and the three sat in silence, waiting for the outcome of Hilbert's battle.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

After what felt like a lifetime later, someone reentered the museum. The three glanced up. It was Hilbert, followed by Danielle. Ethan opened his mouth to ask how it went but he didn't have to: from Danielle's sympathetic frown to the crestfallen look on Hilbert's face, Ethan knew immediately what had happened.

"I'm sorry," Ethan started, but Hilbert cut across.

"Save it," he mumbled. "I screwed up in there and it cost me the match. I'm going to the Pokémon Center."

Without another word, Hilbert was gone.

"How did he go?" Riley turned to Danielle.

"He… he did his best," she replied. "She just outsmarted him one time too many and he couldn't keep up." She smiled sadly. "I hope you have better luck, Ethan."

"Thanks," he said. "Shouldn't you go after him?"

Danielle hesitated. "No, I'd better not. He made it pretty clear he wanted to be on his own for a while. Don't let it faze you, though. You've got your own battle to be worrying about."

"She's right," agreed Riley. "Lenora's ready. Let's not keep her waiting."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The four Trainers stepped through the doorway of the Gym. They made their way through a long passageway, dimly lit by aging lights. When they emerged on the other side, they found themselves in some kind of library. Shelves upon shelves of books soared high above their heads all the way to the roof. In the center of the room was the familiar rectangular field. Riley, Rebecca and Danielle made their way over to the spectator's seats. Ethan swallowed anxiously. Where was Lenora?

He didn't have to wonder for long. She emerged from behind one of the large shelves. "Welcome, Ethan," she said warmly. "I trust that you've prepared thoroughly for the match."

Ethan nodded in response. She clapped her hands together. "Good! Then let's get started straight away, shall we?"

"OK," Ethan replied firmly. He was beginning to feel some of his old confidence reemerge. Lenora wasn't a Gym Leader. She was just another Trainer. Just another challenge to overcome.

"Wonderful!" she cried. "Then I'll start off. Herdier, begin!" She tossed out the familiar canine from Bianca's team.

_Alright,_ Ethan thought to himself. _Herdier_. _Never faced one before, but at least I know its abilities._ "I'll start off with Rufflet!"

Rufflet burst upwards, flapping its wings vigorously as it stared down its foe.

"Very good," commented Lenora, "Herdier, start off with Take Down!"

Herdier barked, charging full pelt towards the bird Pokémon.

"Hold your ground, Rufflet," Ethan said steadily. He didn't want to lose his composure; otherwise, his Pokémon would as well.

Herdier propelled itself off the ground, bounding upwards.

"OK, now fly out of its reach!" Ethan called out.

With perfect timing, Rufflet pushed gently at the air, ascending just out of Herdier's reach. The dog Pokémon threw its paws out to grab on to the bird, but it just missed. Now out of momentum, it plummeted to the ground, only just saving itself from a rough landing.

"Interesting," remarked Lenora. "Using aerial maneuvers to avoid a land-based attack." She smiled fiercely. "I like it!"

"Then you'll love this, too!" Ethan countered. "Rufflet, divebomb with Aerial Ace!"

Rufflet pulled out of its dodging maneuver, tucking in its wings as it spiraled to the earth.

"Herdier, tackle it down!" Lenora called.

Herdier held its position, ready to strike. However, Rufflet feinted to the right, throwing its foe completely off-guard. Before Lenora could react, Rufflet curved around and hit home with a powerful Aerial Ace attack. Herdier howled.

"Good job, Rufflet," Ethan grinned appreciatively at his partner. "Just like we practiced with the others."

"Herdier, Work Up!" Lenora commanded. Herdier obeyed and began to jump around, barking furiously. Ethan knew it was preparing for a powered-up attack.

"Careful, Rufflet," cautioned Ethan. "It's going to hit harder from now on. Stop it in its tracks with Scary Face!"

Rufflet glared at Herdier threateningly. The dog Pokémon began to whimper, docile, yet no less powerful.

"Finish it off with a Fury Attack, Rufflet!" Ethan cried triumphantly.

Rufflet shot towards Herdier like a bullet, ready to deliver the final blow.

"Got you!" Lenora smirked. "Herdier, Intimidate!"

"Huh?" Ethan was baffled. _Intimidate?_

From the sidelines, Danielle gasped. "Ethan, watch out! This is what happened to Hilbert!"

Rufflet's Fury Attack struck once, twice, three times! As far as he could see, Ethan had taken down Herdier.

But Herdier seemed unaffected. Even Rufflet gave pause, confused as its ineffectiveness.

"Now, Herdier, Take Down!" Lenora ordered.

It couldn't miss. Rufflet was in such close range that it barely had time to register before Herdier struck the defenseless Flying-type.

"Rufflet!" Ethan gasped. What was happening? What had happened to Rufflet's attack?

Using the last of its energy, Rufflet managed to free itself from Herdier's reach, squawking in fear as it flew to safety.

"What was that?" Ethan asked, dumbfounded.

Lenora smiled wickedly. "Herdier was the ability to intimidate opponents, weakening the effect of their attacks. Your Rufflet was just trumped."

Ethan snarled. He should have been prepared for some kind of trick. He knew something was odd when Rufflet's first attack struck. Lenora was toying with him, waiting to unleash her secret weapon.

_Be careful_, he told himself. _We don't know what else she's got waiting for us. _

Sighing, Ethan decided to play it safe. "Rufflet, return!" Rufflet flew gratefully back to its Poké Ball.

_We're still in this, team. Herdier's been weakened, too._

Across the field, Lenora called out, "Don't let one oversight trip you up, or else you'll never be able to win. I've got my own strengths and you do as well."

_Her strengths. What are her strengths?_ Ethan was deep in thought. _What is Herdier's trick to battling? It's fast and it can weaken my attacks._

"Time's ticking!" Lenora called. Ethan did his best to ignore her.

_Rufflet's too weak and I don't have anything else that can outspeed it. So…_

"Got it," Ethan whispered excitedly. "Tirtouga, you're up!"

Out came his second Pokémon, the Fossil-restored turtle. Tirtouga cawed, smiling as it entered the battle.

Lenora was intrigued. "Tirtouga?" she enquired. "But Tirtouga is much slower than Herdier."

"I know that," replied Ethan coolly. "But I'm sticking with Tirtouga regardless."

Lenora eyed him suspiciously. "Alright, then. Herdier, use Work Up!"

Herdier began pepping itself up even further. Its next attack was definitely going to hurt.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Over in the stands, Riley and Rebecca watched silently as Danielle fretted over Ethan's predicament.

"What's he doing?" she asked worriedly. "Tirtouga is known for being a slow Pokémon! Why is he using one against a fast opponent like Herdier?"

"I have a feeling that Ethan's more in control of this battle than he would have us believe," Riley murmured, smiling slightly. "What do you think?" he asked Rebecca.

"It makes perfect sense," she replied lightly. "Against a fast Pokémon like Herdier that can wear down attacks, a slow Pokémon that relies on its defense is the perfect foil. Also," she continued, eyes gleaming, "Tirtouga is part Rock-type. Herdier's Normal-type attacks, which are already in jeopardy against Tirtouga's high defense, are weak against Rock."

"Wow!" said Danielle, impressed. "I had no idea Ethan utilized defensive strategies. He always seemed to me as the type to just attack, attack, attack."

"Oh no, he's like that sometimes," laughed Riley. "You're just catching him on a good day."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Alright, Herdier, charge with Take Down!" Lenora commanded.

"But Normal-type attacks are weak against Tirtouga!" Ethan countered.

"We'll see who's laughing in the end," Lenora replied.

Herdier ran straight for Tirtouga. The lumbering Water-type was lolling about, waiting for a command.

"Tirtouga, intercept with Protect!" Ethan barked.

Without warning, a wall of light materialized around Tirtouga, shielding it from Herdier. The dog Pokémon, however, wasn't so lucky. It hit the barrier with a sickening crunch, tottering back and forth in a daze. Thanks to the combination of Protect and its recoil damage, it was all but down for the count.

"Got you there!" Ethan gloated.

But Lenora wasn't flustered. Far from it, actually. She was smiling, ready and confident.

"Herdier," she commanded, "Take it down with Reversal!"

Blue orbs began to glow, rapidly spinning around Herdier's body. Without warning, the orbs shot across the field, striking Tirtouga again and again. The turtle cawed in pain as it was hit. The others gasped from the stand. Lenora looked satisfied. She knew her trump card had rendered Tirtouga out of the battle.

But Ethan was smiling. He looked up at Lenora, without a concern for Tirtouga. "You thought you had me, didn't you?"

Lenora's smile faded. "I'm sorry?" She was confused. Why hadn't Tirtouga fainted yet?

Ethan continued. "I'm glad I'm not the only one in this battle who needs to learn more about special abilities." He paused for effect. "Because Tirtouga has one of his own."

Lenora's shoulders sagged. "I presume you're going to tell me what I've missed."

"Solid Rock," Ethan explained, "reduces the power of super effective moves. Bianca told me about Reversal because she has her own Herdier. It's a Fighting-type move, isn't it? Which is super effective against Tirtouga!"

"I see," frowned Lenora. "With the added effect of Tirtouga's high defense, you would have suppressed my attack… quite a lot, indeed."

"I also saw your mistake, too," Ethan continued. "Reversal is only powerful if your Pokémon is weak. You made sure of that using Take Down. Well, now it's backfired on you."

Now it was Lenora's turn to smirk. "Not so fast, I'm afraid," she called out. "Herdier is faster."

"Not if I use this," Ethan interrupted. "Tirtouga, Aqua Jet!"

Tirtouga covered itself in water. Now surrounded by a veil of water, it shot straight for Herdier like a rocket.

"Sorry, but I've got my own strategies," Lenora cut in. "Herdier, dodge to the left and send it back with Roar!"

Herdier barrel rolled to the side at the very last moment. Without hesitation, it let loose a terrifying howl that bounced off the walls of the library. There was no escaping the sound.

Tirtouga whimpered fearfully. In panic, it scrambled back to Ethan's side before disappearing in a flash of red light.

Ethan stared, dumbfounded. "What?"

Without warning, one of the Poké Balls on Ethan's waist shook violently. In a flash of white light, Deino stood before him.

Lenora gasped. She stared at Deino, fixated on the dragon. "That's… no!" she whispered breathlessly. But Ethan wasn't listening.

"Deino?! Why did you swap with Tirtouga?" Ethan cried. "We were winning!"

"That- that's the effect of Roar, I'm afraid," explained Lenora, swiftly regaining her composure. "It sends one Pokémon scurrying and another out into the fray."

Ethan took a moment to register this before frantically searching his mind for a new strategy. _Alright. Deino can use Dragonbreath. If I'm lucky, that'll paralyze Herdier, slowing it down._

"Deino, lead with Dragonbreath," Ethan said calmly, trying to keep it together. He'd gotten so used to outwitting Lenora that he'd forgotten she might be able to outwit _him_.

Deino roared, albeit somewhat cutely, shooting blazing purple flames at Herdier.

"Maneuver around them, Herdier," Lenora countered, "and use Reversal!"

Herdier leapt, ducked and twisted its way around Deino's persistent attack. Once it was in close range, it unleashed. Deino was unprepared. The attack was super effective, dealing a serious blow to Deino's health. Ethan gritted his teeth.

"Shake it off, Deino. Counter it with-!"

"Use Roar, Herdier!"

"Not again!" Ethan groaned as Deino was sent scurrying back into its Poké Ball. After what he thought was a sure win, he was now well and truly on the ropes.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"He's in trouble again," Danielle fretted. "Now what will he do?"

"Difficult to say," answered Rebecca. "Lenora is using a clever strategy."

"She's restrained from knocking out any of his Pokémon," commented Riley, "Yet she's still dealt a blow to each of them. Using Roar means that Ethan has to keep changing strategies."

"It looks to me like she's messing with his head without him even realizing it!" marveled Danielle. "That's crazy! How can anyone win a battle against that?"

"Simple," replied Rebecca, "They can't. He'll have to come up with a counter to keep this battle going."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Ethan breathed deeply, focusing as Tirtouga burst out once more. The Pokémon had made little recovery during its break. Its shell was bruised from the hit it took.

_Hang on_, Ethan thought. _Its shell?_

"Herdier, finish it off with another Reversal!" Lenora ordered.

"Throw up another Protect, Tirtouga!" Ethan countered desperately.

"Frighten it with Roar!"

Within moments of unleashing a Reversal, Herdier howled once more, attempting to scare Tirtouga so it would let its guard down.

"Tirtouga, hide from the sound in your shell!" Ethan burst out.

Lenora froze, her eyes wide. She watched in surprise as Tirtouga's head disappeared into its bulky shell. Now deaf from outside sounds, Herdier's Roar could do nothing. But more than that, the barrier held as Herdier's attack hit, bouncing off and rebounding straight back for Herdier. Lenora sighed in defeat as Herdier's own attack backfired. The Pokémon swayed for a moment or two before collapsing, utterly devoid of willpower.

"Finally," Ethan sighed in relief, his tense hands unclenching. He was now in with a fighting chance.

Tirtouga poked its head back out, cawing happily as it saw what it had accomplished.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Return." Lenora withdrew Herdier before looking up at Ethan. "Curious," she remarked. "The others approached that strategy much differently. You seem to be managing so far, though. But don't think I'll give you the win _that_ easily," she finished sternly, wagging a finger. "I'll be sure to show you all of my tricks before this match is over. Now for my second Pokémon: Audino!"

Lenora tossed out her second Pokémon. Audino, the healing Pokémon, burst out, cooing happily.

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "An Audino?" _They're not known for being fighters. That must mean that she's got another trick up her sleeve!_ "OK, then. I'll keep Tirtouga in for now. Tirtouga, strike first with Aqua Jet!"

"Audino, counter it with Attract," Lenora said casually.

Audino blew a kiss to Tirtouga. Within moments, Tirtouga slowed its attack, ogling Audino fondly. It slowed to a halt and could merely gaze at Audino lovingly.

"Damn," Ethan growled. "We should have been ready for that. Tirtouga, use Ancientpower!"

"Audino, stop it with Secret Power!" Lenora cut across. A white light materialized above Audino's head. The glowing light was soon absorbed into Audino's body.

Several mounds of rock broke from the field around Tirtouga. With a happy shriek, Tirtouga sent the rocks hurtling towards the charging Audino.

But the attack fell short. Tirtouga, utterly infatuated, couldn't let its attack strike Audino. The rocks fell pathetically in shards on the field. Ethan cursed. Audino continued to charge, never ceasing the pursuit of its foe. Finally, it jumped and sailed above Tirtouga before landing on the Pokémon with its full weight. Ethan knew that he had just been a victim of a vicious Body Slam attack.

When Audino rolled off, Ethan quickly assessed the damage. His shoulders sagged as his worst fears were confirmed: Tirtouga lay there motionlessly, knocked out.

"Tirtouga, return!" Ethan held out his Poké Ball bitterly. _We're losing again. What else is new?_

"Deino, I need your help again. Use Dragonbreath!"

With a growl, Deino jumped back into the battle. Without hesitating, it opened its gaping mouth, exhaling fire. He knew that Audino was slower. The attack couldn't miss!

When the flames had cleared, he saw that his prediction was correct. Audino had taken some serious damage from the attack. Even more heartening was its lumbering movements, the telltale signs of paralysis.

"Perfect," Ethan muttered.

But Lenora was playing it cool, calm and collected. "Audino, Refresh."

Audino breathed deeply. A white glow emanated from inside its body. After a few moments, it began to smile again, moving freely. Ethan realized why Lenora wasn't fazed: Audino had just cured itself of its paralysis.

"It's frustrating when your attacks miss," Lenora said smugly. "It's downright aggravating when you learn that they turned out to be worthless."

_Calm down_, Ethan told himself. _She's just trying to psych you out. Just keep it together and you won't end up like you did in Striaton Gym._ "New tactic, Deino," he said. "Charge with Headbutt!"

Deino growled and began bolted for Audino.

"Audino, subdue it with another Attract," Lenora countered, unfazed.

"Repel it with Dragonbreath!" Ethan cried.

Deino swiftly changed attack, grinding to a halt before unleashing yet another purple inferno on Audino. The healer Pokémon was unprepared and instantly stopped trying to attract Deino. Panicked, it turned to Lenora for a command.

Without warning, Lenora cried out, "Use Last Resort!"

Audino growled and started running towards Deino, about to unleash its most powerful attack.

"Watch out, Ethan!" Riley called out from the stands. "Don't let it hit Deino!"

"Deino!" Ethan barked fiercely. "Charge straight for it with Headbutt!"

The young dragon growled bravely as it took on the much heavier Pokémon thumping towards it. Deino galloped, building up as much speed as possible. Audino was getting closer. This was it. They were about to collide head on-

With an almighty effort, Deino swung its head around, pounding against Audino's head like a battering ram. The larger Pokémon cried out, clutching its forehead in pain. Unable to slow down in time, it tripped on a large piece of rock from Tirtouga's earlier attack and was sent hurtling to the ground.

"Now, Deino, finish it off with Dragon Rage!" Ethan cried.

Deino roared and stomped the ground, sending a shockwave from its gaping mouth. The sound reverberated around the library. The shockwave bounced across the field before it struck Audino. With a final whimper, it rolled over, defeated.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"He did it!" Danielle cheered. "Go Ethan! That Badge is as good as yours now!"

"Remarkable." Riley was impressed. "The quickest way to defeat Audino was to strike hard and fast, the old fashioned way. No fancy maneuvers would have helped there."

But Rebecca still looked worried. "But now he's down to two Pokémon, both of whom are tired. Meanwhile, Lenora's sending out a fresh Pokémon. Hopefully, Lenora doesn't have any more moves that could cripple his Pokémon."

Riley sighed. "Unfortunately, she does. We'll just have to see how Ethan deals with it, if it happens."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Well done, Ethan," Lenora complimented. "It took a great deal of skill to be able to come back to where you are now. To me, you've shown the necessary skill to earn this Badge." Her face turned serious, however. "Unfortunately, it's not up to me to determine who gets the Badge. You'll have to pull one more win out of the hat if you want to succeed." She smiled once more. "Let's finish this off, then. For my final Pokémon, I will be using Watchog!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"_Watchog, the Lookout Pokémon and the evolved form of Patrat. The markings on Watchog's body are luminescent and can intimidate foes."_

The meerkat-like Pokémon squeaked. Ethan noticed the similarities to Hilbert's Patrat and realized. "Hilbert lost against Watchog, didn't he?"

Lenora sighed ruefully. "Yes, I'm sorry to say that he did. He was only down to his Patrat as well, which made the loss all the more disheartening, I'm afraid."

"Well, in that case, I'm going to have to defeat Watchog. You can take this as revenge for beating Hilbert."

"If you say so," said Lenora, "But I'm afraid it will be harder than you think. Watchog, Confuse Ray!"

A screeching sound emanated from Watchog. The sound drove its way across the field. Deino absorbed the attack and began to sway, dazed.

_Oh no, it's confused!_ Ethan began to panic. He'd forgotten to come up with a strategy for a confused Pokémon. Resigned, he held out a Poké Ball. "Deino, retur-"

"Mean Look!" Lenora interrupted. Watchog glared at Deino. All of a sudden, dozens of eyes began to materialize around the field, all fixated on Deino. The little dragon was terrified and turned to Ethan for help. Ethan's Poké Ball started fizzling. _I can't switch out? This is insane!_

"You'll have to stay in, Deino," Ethan said bitterly. "Dragon Rage!"

Deino growled and exhaled another shockwave.

"Dodge it, Watchog!" Lenora commanded, but there was nowhere for the Pokémon to go. It was surrounded on all sides.

Ethan felt a savage pleasure as Lenora watched her Pokémon with discomfort. "Good job, Deino, now hit it with Headbutt!"

Deino charged, but its mind was still addled from the Confuse Ray attack. Halfway across the field, it whipped its head down and hit the ground stupidly. It yowled in pain and hopped back to Ethan.

"No, Deino, fight it!" Ethan begged, but there was nothing he could do. Deino was now fighting its own mental battle. From the stands, he could hear a collective groan from the others as they sympathized with his ever-shrinking chances of winning.

Lenora, meanwhile, had regained her calm demeanor. "A shame," she remarked with sadness, "I thought you had some kind of strategy to deal with confusion. I guess I was wrong." She looked at him sternly. "You won't win against me like this, Ethan."

_I know! _he thought furiously. _But even the most well-trained Pokémon can be brought down by confusion!_

"It's our turn, now. Watchog, Slam!"

Watchog squeaked, barreling towards the confused little Deino. Ethan watched in despair as Watchog began to attack at close range.

_Close range?_

"Deino! Bite its foot!" Ethan garbled.

As Watchog propelled itself upwards, Deino caught it by the leg and… sank its jaws into the Pokémon's foot!

"No!" Lenora gasped. Watchog shrieked as Deino smacked it to the ground by the jaw.

"That's it, Deino!" Ethan said encouragingly. "Now, spit it out with Dragonbreath!"

"Watchog, Low Kick with your free foot!" Lenora cried.

The attacks hit simultaneously. As Deino exhaled searing flames, Watchog pivoted and kicked Deino hard in the torso. The two Pokémon howled in pain as they flailed away from each other. The two Trainers stared intently at each other's Pokémon, anxiously waiting for the outcome.

When the mix of dust and flame had cleared, the result was clear. Watchog, though heaving, was standing. Deino, however, had taken the super effective hit hard. It lay still, knocked out.

"No!" Ethan rushed forward, cradling Deino in his arms. "Deino, are you alright? Please be OK!"

With a soft gurgle, Deino momentarily opened its milky eyes. Smiling at Ethan to let him know his Pokémon wasn't hurt too badly, Deino closed his eyes, unable to battle.

Exhaling a sigh of relief, Ethan glanced up at Watchog. The skinny Pokémon was somehow still standing after getting a full blast of Deino's attack. _Surely_ it was close to fainting.

Watchog tottered for a final few moments. It looked like it was trying to nod to Ethan, to tell him that his Pokémon had fought honorably. Ethan stared into the creature's eyes for what felt like forever.

Finally, Watchog's legs gave out and it sank to the ground. With one last squeak, it lay on its back in pure, final defeat.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Ethan was stunned. Both Pokémon had been knocked out, but he still had one left! He glanced over at the others. Danielle was beaming. Rebecca smiled. Riley grinned. Finally, he looked up at Lenora, who smiled down at him, moved to tears.

"Thank you," she whispered. "for a truly amazing battle."

She stepped down from her podium and approached Ethan, recalling her Watchog as she did so. "As proof of your victory, I present to you the Basic Badge." She placed a rectangular-shaped badge in Ethan's hand. He stood up and shook her hand.

"Thank you for battling me," he said graciously.

She shook her head. "No. Thank _you_, Ethan. The bond you share with your Pokémon is a beautiful thing. I see it all the time in Trainers. I saw it as well today between you and your Deino, and that makes me so glad that you were the one-" She paused mid-sentence and shook her head. "Never mind. I'm just babbling. I just want you to know that you are very lucky to have a friend like Deino. Please take very good care of it, along with all of your Pokémon."

"Thank you," replied Ethan. "I will."

"Really!" Lenora insisted, her eyes gleaming. "Look after your Deino very closely! I'm afraid I might not be making any sense to you right now, but… I'm sure you'll understand in time."

Riley, Danielle and Rebecca had left the stands and were now waiting by the exit.

Ethan turned to go. "I have to go now, Lenora," he said, "But thank you. I'll be sure to take care of my Pokémon."

"Goodbye, Ethan," Lenora said. "I hope we meet again."

There was something about the look in her eyes as she said it. Ethan couldn't quite put his finger on it. Happiness, yes. But… fear?

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"What a battle," Riley said. "You really held your own out there, that's for sure."

But Ethan wasn't listening. He was too busy admiring his second Gym Badge. With a final look, he placed it into his Badge Case. "So, we'd better head off for the next Gym, I guess."

"Right you are," agreed Riley. "According to my map, the third Gym is in Castelia City. As luck would have it, that's the very next city over."

"Great!" Ethan said. "That means we'll be collecting more Gym Badges in no time!"

"I hope so," agreed Riley as Rebecca entered the Pokémon Center. "How did it go with Danielle?" he asked.

"She said she'll stay behind," Rebecca replied quietly. "Hilbert didn't want you two to wait for him, but she felt bad that he was the only one left behind. They'll meet up with us in Castelia City, I guess."

"That settles that, then," said Riley. "Let's head off for Pinwheel Forest soon."

Ethan became lost in his thoughts once more. He was still trying to figure out the meaning behind Lenora's words. "_Look closely after Deino"_… What did she mean by that?

"Ethan, are you listening?"

Riley's voice cut across Ethan's train of thought. "Hmm? Oh, yeah, sure, let's leave for Castelia City."

_She said that I'll understand in time_, he told himself as they took their final steps in Nacrene City. _Whatever she meant, I'm not supposed to figure it out now. _

_But I will._

_In time._

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

_End of Part 2: Back to Basics_

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**


	26. Chapter 26: Blood is Thicker

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

_Part 3: Ties that Bind_

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

A/N: I'm back! Got the urge to write again, hopefully it lasts for a while. Please R&R, I'd like some ideas of where you guys would like the story to go (apart from "away"). Thanks for reading, and I hope you're enjoying the story!

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><p>Chapter 26: Blood is Thicker<p>

"Tranquil, slice it with Air Cutter!"

"Counter with Ancient Power!" Ethan watched the bird Pokémon bombarded with rocks, tumbling to the ground. His smile of triumph quickly sank, however, as he saw the air attack strike Tirtouga. The turtle squealed and rolled over with an exhausted grunt. "You're okay," he reassured his fallen ally. "It's alright, Tirtouga. You're fine." He looked on with sad eyes as his Pokémon closed its eyes, unable to fight. He stood up to face his dark-haired opponent. "I guess it's a draw," he sighed.

The girl nodded curtly. "Good battle," she blurted as she ran by, cradling the motionless Tranquil in her arms.

"Nice work," commented Riley. "You're getting better and better."

Ethan shook his head, withdrawing Tirtouga. "I didn't win. I have to do better than that. Don't. I know what you're about to say," he added abruptly, seeing the look on Riley's face. "'It's not about winning', that whole morale-boosting spiel, but let's face it; we're up against four rivals, each as good as us. I need to be winning a whole lot more than I'm losing if I want to beat them."

Riley paused, musing. "Valid point. But if we don't lose every now and then, who's going to deflate our huge egos?"

"Ha ha," Ethan replied humourlessly while Rebecca's usual frown curved upwards into a smile. Riley was right about her: she liked her silence. Occasionally she would speak up and he was reminded that he was travelling with _two _companions.

Pinwheel Forest was extremely dense. As soon as they had stepped inside, the air grew thick. The path had been so poorly-maintained that vines strangled the sides. Bug Pokémon were a common occurrence. At first, they were a welcome outlet for training their Pokémon. Now, they were nothing but pests.

"Can we keep pushing on?" Rebecca spoke up. "It's getting late and standing around won't make Castelia City any closer."

"Yes, let's," Ethan agreed, nodding. "The map says there's a Pokémon hut close by. Tirtouga needs a nurse." He glanced down at Tirtouga's Poké Ball, worried. Ever since Tirtouga was stolen, he had been putting in extra effort to take care of his newest teammate. So far, he hadn't had much success. Tirtouga may have helped win him the Basic Badge, but there were stronger Trainers at every turn. Both Trainer and Pokémon needed to be at their best if they were to stand a chance at the next Gym. Stowing away his Poké Ball, Ethan led the way.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Night fell. Whatever light that shone through the trees had diminished. The three Trainers took refuge in the hut, their Pokémon resting with the kind nurse. Rebecca had gone for a walk on her own, while the other two waited inside. From the window, Ethan could see the little glow of headlamps as other Trainers continued their forest trek through the night. At one point, two Trainers were battling close to the window. Although he recognised some familiar Pokémon, Ethan saw several new species. He turned to Riley. "What's that one?" he asked, pointing.

Riley shrugged his shoulders. "I've never seen it before."

Ethan was reminded of something. "Hey, I know I haven't really asked, but how were things while I was away? With Riolu, I mean."

"I don't know," Riley replied, heaving a sigh. "One day you think it's all fine. Then, all of a sudden, someone comes along and tries to knock you down. Things were OK at the school because Riolu put a stop to Guy. It's not so easy to win people's favour in the real world, though." He looked out the window wistfully. "This whole idea of foreign Pokémon is ridiculous and I'm trying to prove that. Unfortunately, people are difficult to persuade. They're convinced that Unova's better off contained from the rest of the world or something."

"Everyone?" Ethan asked doubtfully. "Surely there are people who support you."

"Oh, there are people who aren't against me, sure. I'm not sure if that's because they truly believe it or if they just don't know any better," he finished disdainfully.

"It'll take time," Ethan reassured him. "It's never going to happen quickly. It _will _happen, though."

Riley's cross-transceiver suddenly rang shrilly. "Excuse me," he muttered, taking the call. Rebecca's face filled the screen and it was clear that something was wrong. She looked unusually flustered. "Are you OK?" Riley asked.

Rebecca shook her head. "It's gone."

Riley frowned with concern. "What? What happened?"

"I was attacked on my way back here," she explained quickly. "Some Pokémon snatched my bag from me. You have to meet me on the path. Head back the way we came. _Now!_" Without another word, she hung up.

Riley jumped out of his seat. "I need to help her. I'll be right back." He turned and ran for the door.

"I'm coming with you," Ethan said fiercely.

But Riley shook his head. "This could be dangerous," he said seriously.

"Exactly," countered Ethan, "Safety in numbers."

"Please, Ethan," Riley said exasperatedly, "Just wait here. I'll be back soon."

There was no doubt. Riley was hiding something. "Wait… what are you not telling me?"

Riley didn't say a word. He just kept running.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The thick air meant that the forest remained warm, even at night. Ethan quickly worked up a sweat as he ran, never taking his eyes off Riley. He kept his distance, however, lest Riley turn around and spot him.

_What's so important that he can't tell me?_ he thought furiously as he ran. _He trusts me enough to tell me how he smuggled Riolu in. What could be more important than-?_

He froze as the truth washed over him. "Of course," he breathed.

Up ahead, Riley was beginning to slow down. Ethan turned and ran into a thicket of bushes. He advanced slowly, straining to hear the voices up ahead as he moved.

"-snuck up behind me. I didn't see it coming." Rebecca's voice came through.

"We'll find it, don't worry," replied Riley. "Do you know which way it was headed?"

"I followed it this way," said Rebecca. "The path forks in two, though."

"You take the left, I'll take the right."

Ethan heard the sound of running. When he was sure they were gone, he crawled out of the bushes. _Left or right?_ he asked himself. Deciding left, he turned to follow Rebecca.

A dark shape leapt out of a nearby bush. Ethan cried out in surprise as he was sent tumbling to the ground. He tried to get up, but he was pinned down. His right arm was outstretched as the dark shape dug its claws into his forearm. He yelled in pain. He could feel his arm bleeding. The creature dug its claws in deeper.

Light shone from his belt. Without warning, Deino emerged with a growl, shooting purple flames at the enemy. The creature hissed, pouncing for Deino. Ethan scrambled to his feet as the creature took a swipe at Deino. The dragon cried out, both hurt and angry. With a furious roar, Deino stomped at the ground. Ethan dived out of the way as the path rippled with shockwaves. The creature leapt up high to dodge the attack.

"Focus Blast, Jethro!" cried a voice. Ethan whirled around to see Rebecca, with fire in her eyes. Her Zoroark stood by her side, putting its hands together to summon a ball of intense blue light. Hissing, Jethro pounced high, splaying its hands. The ball hurtled outwards, striking the foe. It hissed, hitting the ground with a loud _thunk_. It didn't get up.

Ethan was motionless with shock. He felt blood trickling down his arm.

Rebecca strode over to him. "Give me your bag," she commanded. She rifled through the contents, pulling out some ointment and bandages. "Hold out your arm."

As she treated his wound, Deino and Jethro approached. Jethro stood guard in front of Rebecca, while Deino nudged Ethan softly. Ethan could tell what he meant. _Are you OK?_

"Thanks for saving me," he said to Deino, hugging his friend with his good arm. "I owe you as well," he said shakily to Rebecca. "If you and Jethro hadn't-"

Rebecca waved her hand aside. "Save it. I've done this more than you can imagine." She turned to the unconscious Pokémon. "You're lucky I heard you. I don't think Riley's coming back any time soon. I'll call him." She finished stitching up the bandage. While she called Riley, Ethan approached the dark Pokémon. Deino kicked it softly, confirming that it was out cold.

With a sigh of relief, Ethan pulled out his Pokédex. "What is that thing?"

"_Liepard, the Cruel Pokémon, and the evolved form of Purrloin. Liepard are masters of stealth, sneaking up on opponents in absolute silence. Like their pre-evolved counterpart, they have an obsession with stealing possessions."_

"He'll be here soon," said Rebecca, approaching the Liepard. "This was the thing that attacked me. I'm sure of it."

"Why is Riley keeping your secret from me?" Ethan spoke up, thinking back on what he had realised earlier.

Rebecca looked at him blankly. "What do you mean? If Riley's keeping something from you, that's his problem-"

"Riley told me how he smuggled Riolu into Unova," Ethan cut in. "If he trusts me enough to tell me he's a criminal, then he's not probably not hiding much else about himself. Hiding something about _you_, on the other hand-"

Rebecca sighed. "Fine, you're right. At least help me find what I've lost first-"

"Hey!" Riley called as he returned. "Are you alright?" He noticed the bandage on Ethan's arm. "What happened?"

Ethan pointed to the Liepard in response. "We found what attacked Rebecca, at least."

"Come on!" Rebecca interrupted. "We've got to get out of here before it wakes up again!" She ran into the bushes, searching. After a few moments, she stepped out of the bush. "Got it. Let's go."

Cradled in her arms was a light-coloured, oval-shaped egg.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"This is a Pokémon Egg," Rebecca explained to Ethan in a hushed voice. After arriving safely at the hut, they sat in a dark corner, unseen by others.

"Hang on," Riley interrupted, "Are you sure you want to-?"

"He should know, Riley," she answered firmly. "It's only fair."

Riley closed his mouth, nodding his consent.

"As I was saying," continued Rebecca, "No one knows how Pokémon Eggs are created. There's so much we don't know. What we _do _know is that they hatch into a baby Pokémon."

Ethan nodded in understanding. "I think I get it. But, why go to all this trouble to hide it?"

Riley looked at Rebecca before speaking. "I think you can figure that out, Ethan. If it was just an ordinary Egg, we wouldn't have felt the need to-"

"Wait," Ethan cut in. "Is it…?" He looked at Riley in astonishment. "_Did you smuggle in a foreign Pokémon?"_

"Quiet!" Rebecca hissed. She looked around to make sure nobody was listening.

"Yes," Riley sighed heavily.

"Are you crazy?!" Ethan whispered furiously. "You _know_ the police have started coming down on Pokémon smuggling!"

"It's not his," Rebecca cut across. "It's mine."

Ethan was dumbfounded. "Yours?" he asked. "But why do you have it?"

"I'm a Pokémon Breeder," she explained. "I've been at it for a few months now. This is my very first successful Pokémon Egg. "

Ethan paused for a moment, thinking. "OK. So, you're a Pokémon Breeder. But why is your only Egg from another region?"

"She used to live in Hoenn before she moved here," Riley said, a little too quickly. "I told you that."

Rebecca glanced sideways. "Well… it's not actually as simple as that, is it?"

"Yes, it is," Riley interrupted firmly, glaring at her.

Something was going on between the two. Ethan could tell. "You guys… you know each other, don't you?"

"Yes, we do," Riley said. "We met at the Trainers' School and _that's all_."

"Let's just tell him, Riley." Rebecca sighed in exasperation. "He knows plenty already." She looked Ethan in the eye very seriously. "Ethan. Riley is my cousin."

"I'm sorry, _what_?!" Ethan asked, incredulous. "_Cousins_?" Riley sank into his chair.

"Yes, he's my cousin," repeated Rebecca.

"But… how does that even work?" he asked in disbelief. "You lived in Hoenn. He's from Sinnoh!"

"My mother passed away when I was young," she explained. "My father walked out soon after. He refused to take care of me after what happened to me. He thought I was excess baggage.

My uncle took care of me for a while. He brought me to Sinnoh, where I lived with his wife and son. My aunt… and Riley. "

Ethan looked at Rebeca in disbelief. "Are you serious?! That's what happened to my cousin, Cynthia!"

"Cynthia?" Rebecca repeated. She rounded on Riley. "Wait a minute. Are you telling me that this kid's cousin is… _the _Cynthia?!"

Riley sank even lower into his chair, if that was possible.

"You know her?" Ethan asked quizzically. "How?"

"She _humiliated_ me!" Rebecca snapped, turning to Riley once again. "I can't believe you didn't tell me this was her cousin!"

Riley looked afraid to speak. "I… thought you might overreact like this."

Rebecca got to her feet. "Well, now that I know I'm travelling with a liar and my rival's cousin, I think I'll make my way to Castelia City myself!" With that, she stormed out of the hut.

Riley looked astonished. Ethan was stunned. "She's not coming back, is she?"

"Uh, no, I don't think so," Riley mumbled. "She's pretty set in her ways."

"What did she mean by 'her rival's cousin'? What did Cynthia do to her?"

"She, uh, challenged Cynthia in a tournament while we were living in Sinnoh," Riley explained. "Back before she became a Breeder, she was a Trainer, like us. Obviously, she lost. Publically. And badly, too. Since then, she's given up being a Pokémon Trainer and decided to become a Breeder instead."

"Oh," was all Ethan could say. He couldn't understand how Cynthia could have caused someone to act so hostile towards her. "What about the Egg? Why did she smuggle it in?"

"To her, it's a symbol," answered Riley. "It was the first Pokémon Egg she ever managed to create. It was the start of her new career, her new life, even. I think she's just trying to forget that incident with Cynthia. Seeing you probably opened up old wounds. I guess she's so desperate to forget that she was prepared to smuggle in a Pokémon. It must be pretty important to her."

"But she'll be fine on her own, right?" Ethan asked.

"She'll be fine. She may be quiet, but she's not timid," Riley assured him. "I'm sure we'll meet up again soon enough."

Ethan privately hoped otherwise.


	27. Chapter 27: Over Skyarrow Bridge

**A/N: Hey readers, here's another chapter of Pokémon goodness for you! Last time we finished up, Riley and Rebecca revealed the truth about themselves and their past together (not "that" kind of past. This isn't Game of Thrones; I don't do incest, you sickos!). Plus, Rebecca and Ethan learned they have some history, which led to Rebecca leaving the group. Enjoy the latest chapter and let me know what you think, I'm ****really**** keen to hear how you liked this chapter!**

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><p>Chapter 27: Over Skyarrow Bridge<p>

They were nearly out of the forest. The air was cooler and felt less contained. Bright sunlight sparkled in the distance. Ethan and Riley grinned at each other, happy to move on. They had been wandering through Pinwheel Forest for two whole days. It was a relief to see the outside world again.

As they stepped out of the trees, the teenagers took a deep breath of air, now one step closer to their destination.

"Look!" Riley said, pointing. In front of them ran a large river, presumably reaching out to the ocean. In the far-off distance, they could see the sprawling mass of skyscrapers that was Castelia City. But up over their heads, high up above the rest of the world, was a hulking white suspension bridge.

Ethan looked at a nearby sign. "The Skyarrow Bridge," he read. "It says here that it's the tallest and longest bridge in Unova."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" said Riley, gaping at the massive steel structure above them. "That thing is bigger than the tallest skyscraper in Castelia City!" He led the way into the nearby gate.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The entrance gate was like a museum. There were dozens of exhibits, both pictures and materials, on display.

"Huh," said Riley, inspecting the nearest display, "This stuff is amazing! It looks like a pretty comprehensive history of the bridge."

But Ethan was impatient. "C'mon," he urged, "We can admire it while we're on it. I want to get to Castelia City ASAP."

Riley shook his head. "Oh, come on, it's good to slow down once in a while. Castelia City's not going anywhere."

"But the others are," Ethan pointed out. "The longer we wait, the further away they get."

"Don't forget Hilbert," Riley also pointed out. "For all we know, he's still behind in Nacrene City with that Danielle girl. You don't want to leave _him _behind, do you?"

Ethan's shoulders sagged in defeat. "OK, fine, we'll look around for a bit. But let's make this quick, I want to get to Castelia City before it gets dark."

"Good," said Riley, beaming.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

She was surrounded. Half a dozen of them stood in front of her. She didn't bother to look behind, but she knew they were there as well. She glanced sideways, trying to estimate the drop. _A big drop_, she told herself.

The tallest one stepped forward to speak. "So, what's it going to be?" he growled. "Your money; or your Pokémon?"

She stared back at him, defiant. "I'm crossing this bridge, whether you let me or not."

He laughed loudly, the others quickly following suit. "You don't seem to realise your position. There's twelve of us. How many of _you_ are there?"

She raised an eyebrow, her fear unusually absent. "Only twelve?" She snatched up a Poké Ball. "That's a shame. I wanted a real fight."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"We've been here for ages," Ethan grumbled, yawning. "Isn't it time to go now?"

Riley rolled his eyes. "We've been here for twenty minutes. You're a terrible judge of time."

Out of nowhere, a crackled, disembodied voice spoke up. "Your attention, please! The Skyarrow Bridge has been temporarily closed. This is a message from the Castelia City Police Department. We thank you for your cooperation and apologise for any inconvenience."

Furious, Ethan turned to Riley. "Are you happy now?"

"Very," replied Riley, smiling cheerfully. "I'd rather be stuck on this side of the bridge with something to do than stuck _on_ the bridge with whatever's going on."

"C'mon," Ethan muttered, tugging Riley by the sleeve, "we have to see what this is all about."

Riley sighed as he was dragged. "Why can't we just stand back from the action for once? Whatever happened to being an innocent bystander?"

"It's boring," laughed Ethan. "This is way better than standing around looking at old exhibits." He dragged Riley over to the main desk. "Excuse me," he asked the man at the desk, "What's happening on the bridge?"

The man pointed to the surveillance screen at his desk. "The cameras can't pick it up that well, but it looks like some Trainers are having an argument on the bridge."

Ethan leaned over the desk to observe. He saw a circle of about a dozen people, surrounding a teenage girl. He squinted to see more. It looked like-

"A Pokémon battle," he observed. "That girl must be in trouble." He turned to Riley. "We have to help out."

Riley groaned. "No, no, come on! Why do you always have to stick your nose into things that don't concern us? We should just let the police handle it. See?" He pointed to another surveillance screen. It looked like the police department were preparing to cross from the Castelia side of the bridge. "They'll take care of it."

Heaving a sigh, Ethan returned his attention to the action on the video screen. The battle had already started. The girl's Pokémon was fighting against three others. The video quality was so bad that Ethan couldn't make out anyone's features. There was something wrong with the girl, however. Her head seemed to be oddly-shaped. Something was sticking out from her face.

The girl in the video turned around for less than a second, but Ethan caught it. It was some kind of disguise.

_Not a disguise_, he realised. _A mask_.

Ethan whirled around, grabbing Riley's arm once again. "Come on," he blurted out, leading Riley to through the gate.

"Hey! What're you-?"

"Stop!" cried the man at the desk. "You can't go out there!"

But Ethan and Riley were already on the bridge.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Are. You. Insane?" Riley puffed out as they ran up the ramp. The blaring horns of traffic below them meant that the pedestrian walkway was on top of a roadway. "What are we… _puff_… doing?"

"It's Rebecca!" Ethan yelled over the noise.

Riley groaned yet again. "Oh, God, no. I was hoping to avoid this!"

Ethan laughed uncontrollably. "What do you mean? I told you this was more fun than looking at those stupid displays. Was I right, or was I right?"

"You're forgetting something," Riley yelled. "What about the dozen or so people who'll try and take us down when they see us?!"

"I hadn't thought of that!" Ethan shouted back. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it!"

Riley hit him over the head. "That's a terrible pun! _Why_ would you do this to us?!"

As the bridge grew steeper, the shouts from up ahead grew audible.

"Get ready for a battle," Ethan warned Riley, tossing out a Pokémon. "Go, Rufflet!"

Rufflet flapped his wings, emerging from a burst of light. He cawed loudly, flying in circles around Ethan's head.

The nearest Trainer heard Rufflet's squawks. Turning around, she gritted her teeth in anger. "Hey, there're some kids here who want a fight. Take them down, Tranquil!"

Her Tranquil squawked shrilly, sending a perfectly executed Air Cutter attack for Rufflet.

"Send it back with Wing Attack!" Ethan countered.

Rufflet waited until the very last moment before executing a 360 degree turn, striking the attack with its outstretched wing. The attack rebounded, but bounced off in a wild direction, missing Tranquil. _At least we stopped it_, Ethan thought bracingly. He turned to Riley. "Go help Rebecca! I'll take care of this girl."

The girl laughed as Riley bolted past her. "'Take care of me?'" she mocked. "Sweetie, I'm sixteen. I've got more important things to take care of than babysit you."

"Try me," Ethan countered. "Rufflet, Aerial Ace, now!"

"Dodge and strike back with Air Slash!" she snarled.

Rufflet jetted through the sky at a ferocious speed. Just at the very last second, however, Tranquil lost altitude and sank downwards, completely missing the attack. Never missing a beat, Tranquil circled around to attack Rufflet from behind.

"Weave through the bridge supports!" Ethan yelled, an idea coming to him.

"Don't let up, Tranquil!" the girl said savagely. "Stay on its tail and smash it as soon as it slows down!"

Rufflet began performing a slalom course through the steel supports of the bridge, weaving left and right, as if they were the trees in Pinwheel Forest. Ethan paused briefly, amazed at how expertly Rufflet dodged the supports.

But Tranquil was gaining. The other bird Pokémon was matching Rufflet pole-for-pole. It was getting closer and closer.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

When Rebecca saw Riley, she scowled. "Seriously?!"

Riley didn't return the glance. "Ethan's idea, not mine!"

"Well, go back the way you came. Jethro and I are doing fine!" Rebecca retorted.

She wasn't wrong, Riley noted. So far, she and Jethro had managed to fend off a quarter of the gang. They abandoned the fight and ran for it.

"They're getting away!" Rebecca remarked.

Riley shook his head. "Unfortunately for them, they don't know about the advancing police force." He called out Riolu as a nearby gang member took him on with his vicious-looking Liepard.

"How's the Egg?" Riley bellowed over the noise, trying to focus as much attention on his battle with the Liepard.

"It's fine," Rebecca called back, as her Zoroark finished off an opposing Roggenrola. "I warned them to let me cross the bridge, but they demanded money or Jethro."

"So you decided to take on a gang of criminals with only one Pokémon?" Riley shouted in response. He smiled in triumph as Riolu unleashed a frenzy of Force Palm attacks on the Liepard. The Pokémon fell against the type disadvantage. He quickly turned back to Rebecca. "_How am I related to you_?!"

He turned back to face a horrifying scene. While his back was turned, Riolu was struck down by his next opponent: a great hulking Pignite.

"Reversal!" Riley cried. Riolu leapt to his feet. Inverting its diminished energy, Riolu unleashed a powerful attack that struck Pignite. The lumbering Pokémon was barely fazed. It advanced on Riley and Riolu. The two moved several paces backwards. Riley suddenly became aware of how close they were to the side of the bridge.

"No!" Rebecca said fiercely. "Jethro, stun it with Focus Blast!"

But Pignite slapped the attack away with a flick of its wrist. It advanced on Riolu.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Your bird's almost had it," the girl snarled.

But Ethan refused to back down. He was certain that Rufflet would succeed. "Keep at it, Rufflet!" he encouraged. The small bird Pokémon continued weaving through steel supports, the larger Tranquil close on its tail. _Almost there_, Ethan thought. Then, it was time. "Rufflet, up!"

Rufflet swung out of the final support and pivoted upwards, a hair's length from the brick support tower. Tranquil saw the trick, but it was too large to manoeuvre out of it quickly enough.

The girl gasped in horror as her Pokémon collided with the tower head-on. It fell to the ground in a daze, clearly unable to fight.

"What the hell was that?!" shrieked the girl. "That was a cheap trick! You call that Pokémon battling?"

Ethan shook his head. "_That_ was strategy. And I call it 'winning'." He turned his back on his defeated opponent. He cried out in horror.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Bianca sat outside the café, waiting for Hilda to arrive. She kept checking her watch and looked around expectantly, as if her friend was going to appear any second now.

She was not pleased. After the three of them arrived in Castelia City, all Cheren and Hilda wanted to do was challenge the Gym. Bianca wasn't sure if she approved of Hilda spending time with him. She seemed more… impatient, more rushed these days.

Of course, she had her own goals in mind. She _was_ going to beat Cheren and prove she was the better Trainer. However, _she_ didn't feel the need to rush her adventure, because she was confident in her strength. Together, with Pignite, Herdier and Minccino by her side, she had trained harder than ever before to prove she was ready for this Gym challenge.

Still, she didn't want to wait too long or else she'd lag behind. The thought reminded her of Ethan, Riley and Hilbert, still back in Nacrene City. Had they beaten the Gym yet? Were they on their way to Castelia City? Maybe they were already _in _Castelia City.

_Maybe_, she thought to herself, _they've arrived without telling us because… because they're going to beat the Gym Leader and take the lead in the race!_

Bianca leapt to her feet. She wasn't going to let those three boys beat her. She _had _to make her way to the Pokémon Gym now. She had to earn her third Gym Badge and get ahead of the others!

The thought of beating Cheren overtook her mind and she lost her previous train of thought. Lost in her thoughts, she nearly didn't register the two of them approaching. "Oh, you're here!" she gasped. "How was the Gym?"

Cheren shrugged. "I won," he said dismissively, holding out the Bug Badge. Bianca ignored his smirk. She knew he was just trying to wind her up. Tossing the jibe aside, she addressed Hilda. "How did you go?"

Hilda shook her head. "The Gym Leader didn't have time to battle me," she explained wistfully. "I have to wait until tomorrow."

"What? How come?"

"There's an incident out on the bridge," Cheren explained. "Burgh said he had to help out the police department."

"On the bridge?" Bianca repeated. "Well, let's go! How can we miss drama in the city like this?"

Hilda sighed. Bianca really was the most scatterbrained person she knew. Relenting, she ran after Bianca and Cheren, who were headed for the pier.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The police force had crossed the halfway point. The shouts and cries grew louder across the bridge.

As the battle came into sight, the officers gave the order. Within seconds, every man and woman called out their Pokémon. Just as they arrived on the scene, someone shouted out in horror.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Riolu, return!" Riley commanded, never taking his eyes off the advancing Pignite.

But Riolu refused to back down, standing its ground between Riley and the hulking creature.

"Please!" Riley begged. "Get back before you get hurt!" He knew this was one fight he wouldn't be able to win. The Pokémon was just too close and if Riolu was hit, he would be sent flying over the edge of the bridge.

"Jethro, send another Focus Blast at it!" Rebecca barked intently.

"No!" Riley cried. "If it hits you, you'll go over the edge!" He quickly glanced over the side. "Riolu, _come back!_"

At last his Pokémon obeyed, vanishing into its Poké Ball. Riley pocketed it and threw up his hands in surrender. "Call off your Pignite!" he shouted at its owner, the leader of the gang. "We've stopped fighting!"

The gang leader laughed viciously. "Maybe I don't want to!" he guffawed. "Pignite's having too much fun! Why should I tell him no?"

"You got what you wanted, now stop this fight!" Riley shouted back desperately. "Look around you. It's six of you against three of us. The police are on their way. If you leave now, you'll get away in time."

"Riley, what are you doing?" Rebecca demanded, furious. "We're not letting them go- oh-!"

"Yes, we are," Riley interrupted. "If they leave us alone, we'll leave them alone." He glanced at Rebecca, who was ferretting through her bag. "What are you doing?"

"It- it's hatching!"

Rebecca held out the Egg. It was rocking violently in her hands. Small cracks crept around the egg.

"A Pokémon Egg, huh?" The gang leader said maliciously. "Well, that's good enough payment for me. Pignite, steal that Egg and let's get out of here."

"You stay away from me!" Rebecca snarled.

Pignite stomped towards her, arms outstretched. It swiped its arm, snatching the egg from her grasp.

"No!" Riley exclaimed. He ran full-pelt towards the Pignite. The Pokémon swiped its other arm towards Riley, to stop him from grabbing the Egg.

But Riley was faster. He jumped up and made a grab for the Egg, as Rebecca ran forwards to retrieve it from him.

She was too slow. As the two cousins gazed at each other in terror, the Pignite swung its arm and struck.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

A large crowd had already assembled upon the three Trainers' arrival. The gate to the bridge had been sealed with a guard of at least a dozen policemen. Cheren led them deeper into the crowd, trying to spot a good vantage point. The river was at low tide, so they found a small opening under the pier. They just managed to fit, as the river lapped at their feet.

"What's going on?" Bianca asked Cheren excitedly.

"There must be some kind of battle going on," he observed. "I can see some Pokémon in the distance."

"Ooh, how exciting!" Bianca squealed with delight. Hilda gave a snort of derision, but looked on intently.

The fight was taking place on the far side of the bridge, so it was difficult to see. Nevertheless, the crowd could vaguely hear the shouts and cries of Pokémon from across the river.

All of a sudden, someone in the crowd screamed. Bianca, Cheren and Hilda gasped in terror as they saw what the rest of the crowd saw: a lone figure, hurtling over the side of the bridge, tumbled down into the shallow river below.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

**A/N: Such drama, many cliffhanger, wow. That chapter title just took on a whole new meaning. But who ****actually**** went over the bridge? Will they survive? I don't know if I'm allowed death with my fanfic rating. Perhaps I may need to adjust that rating? :O**

**I hope you like the story so far. Let me know what you like about it, what you ****don't**** like about it, even what you want to see in the upcoming chapters. Chapter 28 will be up by the end of this week, so stick around for that.**


	28. Chapter 28: Choices

**A/N: Hey! Here's Chapter 28, within the week just like I promised! Fair warning though, this chapter got a little heavier than I intended. Nothing hardcore, just depressing enough that I felt the story needed a T rating. On that pleasant note, enjoy! Please R&R, I really want to know how you liked this one.**

****Another note: I've recently started beta reading a new fanfic. Please support my fellow author, RedLeaf16's new story "Learning to Be Heroes". It's a really intruging premise, so head on over and give it some good old R&R!****

* * *

><p>Chapter 28: Choices<p>

* * *

><p><em>The world moved in slow-motion. The scream of the wind could have been a whisper. The drop felt like an eternity. The cries from above and the roar of the wind were drowned out by pounding heartbeats.<em>

_People. There were people far-off in the distance. Did it matter anymore? No, of course it didn't. Nothing existed anymore. At least, that's what everything felt like. Just… nothing…_

_Thoughts had all disappeared now. What was there to worry about anymore? It was done. There was no one to save, no one to fight. Every little thing that had ever mattered was worthless in the face of the fall. It was strange how easily one thing could make everything else disappear. _

_All that remained was one final thought:_

_The fall is all there is now_.

_Clutching tightly at the Egg in his hands, Riley closed his eyes as he hit the water._

_Curiously, nothing rushed through his mind. Just a calm sense of… finality._

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The world moved in slow-motion. The scream of the wind could have been a whisper. The drop felt like an eternity. The cries around him and the roar of the wind were drowned out by his pounding heartbeats…

Clutching tightly at the Poké Ball in his hands, Ethan stared on in horrified silence as Riley hit the water.

Moments later, or perhaps a lifetime, Rebecca was at his side, tugging at his arm. She was screaming something, but it was lost on his ears.

She left his side. He heard her shouting at someone. It must have been the Trainer with the Pignite. He turned around in a daze. He watched as the gang leader and his Pokémon took off, disappearing from the scene. He saw Rebecca give chase, shouting commands at her Zoroark.

The adrenalin kicked in. Everything intensified. The numbness was gone.

He took off, running for the oncoming police. He threw his arms up in the air, drawing their attention. As soon as one spotted him, he shouted and pointed over the bridge to the shallow waters below.

As the police scrambled into action, Ethan grabbed the first one who ran by. "My friend! We need to get to him!"

The woman nodded, motioning for him to follow her. "Come on," she replied. "I've got a bike. We'll ride to the pier; the paramedics will pick him up there."

Ethan followed her, calling for Rebecca to come. Grief-stricken and furious, all she could do was nod. Stowing away her Pokémon, she followed.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The crowd gasped at the sight. Bianca shrieked with fright as the figure hit the surface. All of a sudden, she became much more aware of just how shallow the tide was. They stood on the very edge of the shore, yet the water barely lapped at their feet.

"Hey!" a man's voice barked. "Get out of there, kids!"

The three Trainers looked up at the man. He was gesturing frantically to get out of the way and it wasn't hard to see why. A team of paramedics had hurried to the front of the crowd, presumably to recover the person who had fallen. They clambered back on to the pier, joining the rest of the crowd, who watched in fascination.

Moments later, a lone speedboat glided across the bay. It circled under the bridge several times before those on board spotted the body. The men lifted the body out of the water and on to the boat. Within minutes, the whole thing was over and the boat was heading straight for the pier.

"Out of the way!" cried a voice. "Let me through!"

A horn honked and the crowd parted. As the paramedics rushed to meet the speedboat, a woman on a motorbike raced through the crowd with a roar. As she reached the front of the crowd, Bianca saw-

"Ethan! What are you doing here?" Bianca cried excitedly.

But Ethan wasn't alone. On the back of the bike was Rebecca, the strange girl she had met in Nacrene City. Why were they here?

As she, Hilda and Cheren reached out to Ethan, he swatted their hands away. Bianca could tell something was wrong. Ethan looked white as a sheet and was hyperventilating. The girl named Rebecca was clawing at her face, hysterical.

Now very worried, the three followed them down to the pier. "Ethan, wait!" Cheren called out. "What's happ-?"

He never finished his sentence, instead clamping a hand over his mouth as his eyes widened. Hilda gasped and let out a terrified scream.

Ethan and Rebecca jumped off the bike as it slowed to a stop. Frantically shoving their way through the crowd, they burst on to the deck of the pier and met the speedboat as it came to rest at the dock.

As the paramedics lifted the body on to a stretcher, Bianca froze in shock as Riley's motionless body was carted away, a cracked egg and a newborn Pokémon clutched in his grasp.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

It was chaos. As the rescue team bustled their way through the crowd to reach the ambulance, cameras flashed in Ethan's face. Every few moments, his vision was blinded by a flashing white light, or a microphone in his face as reporters swarmed around them, absolutely begging them for statements. It was like a zoo. The roar of the crowd bashed around in his head as he longed for the silence and safety of the ambulance.

At last, when he, Cheren, Bianca, Rebecca and Hilda were safely in the vehicle, the tension released and Ethan broke down in deep, choking sobs.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Hours later, the five of them sat in a cramped hospital ward, waiting for news. Upon their arrival at the hospital, the surgeons had rushed Riley off to the operating theatre. The image of him in the ambulance was horrifying. His left arm was mangled, twisted at an awful angle after it struck bedrock. His leg was badly scarred. The black eye from his fight with Guy was no longer the worst feature on his face. It was now marked with several cuts, his nose a bloodstained mess after smashing against rock. He had been under for some time.

Rebecca sat in her chair, shaking. Ethan tried offering her a comforting arm around the shoulder, but she shrugged it off. Bianca was sobbing quietly into Cheren's shoulder as he stared solemnly into space. Hilda remained perfectly poised, but her puffy red eyes betrayed her calm composure.

"It's my fault," Rebecca murmured softly after a time. She turned to face Ethan. "The Egg started hatching and I pulled it out. That man on the bridge, he… he tried to take it from me, but Riley jumped and…" she trailed off.

Ethan shook his head. "Stop," he said firmly. "You didn't ask him to be there. I made him come with me."

But Rebecca ignored him. "He would've come anyway, once he realized that I was on the bridge."

Ethan paused for a moment. "What's the Pokémon?" he asked, eager to change the subject.

Rebecca wiped away the tears on her face before answering. "Here," she answered, handing him a Poké Ball. "After he hatched, I caught him so he was hidden. Imagine if those reporters saw that we had a foreign Pokémon with us." Making sure that nobody was looking, Rebecca pressed the button on the Ball. The others looked at it curiously.

The baby Pokémon was yellow. Its arms and round torso were striped with black, a lightning bolt emblazoned on its chest. Instead of ears, it had two horns that looked like prongs of a power plug.

Ethan whipped out his Pokédex to scan it. "_Not in records: Pokémon unidentifiable._" He wasn't surprised, considering it wasn't native to Unova.

"His name's Elekid," Rebecca explained, calling the Pokémon back into its Ball. "He's an Electric-type. I've been trying to breed one for months. Now that he's hatched, I can officially call myself a Pokémon Breeder," she finished, looking down at the Poké Ball with sad eyes. "To think that my first success came at a price like this, though…"

"No," Ethan interrupted. "Riley is going to be fine, OK? He knew that this Pokémon meant a lot to you. Look how far he went for you. Thanks to him, you can start your new goal."

Rebecca glared at him angrily. "I wouldn't have had to become a Breeder it weren't for your cousin-"

"Stop it! I don't care what you think about Cynthia," Ethan fired up. "It was _your_ decision to take her on, _your_ decision to become a Breeder, and _your_ decision to involve Riley in the smuggling. It's on _you_, not her."

He immediately regretted his words. "So you're saying it _is_ my fault, then?" Rebecca demanded, her voice shaking.

Ethan placed his hand on her shoulder. Surprisingly, she didn't shrug it off. "It's not your fault. I'm sorry if you took it that way, but you _know_ you're not to blame."

After a time, she sighed heavily and her shoulders sagged. "What am I doing here, Ethan?" she asked. "Jethro and I came here because we thought we could start a new life. Leave everything behind, you know? But bad things just keep following us. And now Riley's in there. Because of me. Because of you. Because of _him_," she said bitterly, grasping the Poké Ball. "I'm not going to succeed if I keep running from everything." She fell silent for a moment, thinking. "I… I need to leave for a while," she decided.

"Leave?" Ethan repeated. "Why?"

"I'm tired of running," she confessed. "I need to fight back for myself. Ever since my accident, nothing's been the same. But maybe if Jethro and I go it alone... we can figure it out."

"Figure _what_ out?" Ethan asked.

Rebecca smiled grimly. "That's the journey, isn't it? Figuring out the 'what'? Isn't that why all of you are here?" She rose from her chair. "Here," she said, handing her Poké Ball to Ethan. "Give him to Riley. After what he's been through for it… maybe he deserves it more than I do."

"And if he doesn't make it?" Ethan asked.

Rebecca shook her head. "You seem to believe he can. If something's waiting for him to wake up… maybe he will." She began to leave.

"Wait, aren't you staying?" Ethan asked.

Rebecca shook her head, back to her usual stony demeanor. "I can't stand sitting around and waiting," she said coldly. "Get the hospital to call me if he wakes up. I won't watch this."

Without another word, she was gone.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The four of them jumped to their feet as the doctor approached. Before any of them could ask, the doctor answered for them. "He's stable," he confirmed.

They breathed a collective sigh of relief. "What happened?" Cheren asked.

"We managed to stop the internal bleeding," explained the doctor. "His legs had minor scarring, so he should be able to walk fine. He's suffered a break in his left arm. Fortunately, it's a clean break, so it will be easier to heal. It's not all good news, I'm afraid." He looked at them seriously for a moment before continuing. "He's fractured his skull. We had to induce a coma to reduce brain activity."

"But," asked Ethan, "do you know when he'll wake up?"

The doctor shook his head. "It depends on how fast he recovers. From what I've seen, it should only take several days for him to wake up. However, these things have been known to… last for quite some time," he finished. "You can visit now, if you'd like."

"Thank you," Cheren replied as they followed the doctor to Riley's room.

He lay there, motionless. His arm was in a tightly bound cast and bandages had been wrapped around his head. His face was marked with stitches, but it looked much cleaner than it had upon arriving at the hospital. He was strapped to a monitor beside his bed. His gear was placed neatly on a shelf in the corner. The four of them stood there in silence, watching their fallen companion, as if expecting him to wake up at any moment.

After several minutes of silence, Cheren spoke up. "Well, that's it, then," he said. "There's nothing we can do now." Eager to leave, he left the room. Bianca followed quickly.

Hilda remained for a few moments by Ethan's side, looking miserably at Riley. "Do you think they caught him? The guy who did this?" she asked; Ethan had filled her in on the events as they waited.

"Maybe," he replied quietly. "He didn't have much of a head start on the police when they closed in. I don't think he even meant for it to happen though." He sighed. "Honestly, I think it was just an accident." The room suddenly felt unfriendly; he wanted to leave. "C'mon," he mumbled. "It's late. Let's just head to the Pokémon Center and call it a night." He turned to go, when something stopped him. "Hang on." He remembered Rebecca's last request. Plucking the baby Elekid's Poké Ball from his belt, he placed it on the shelf next to Riolu's. "Your second Pokémon, Riley," he said. "Not sure if you can hear me, but… Rebecca wanted you to have him. She said that you deserved it. You saved him, after all. Just so you know… something's waiting for you when you wake up."

There was nothing else to say. Hilda took him by the hand and led him outside. Ethan followed silently, deep in thought.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The silence didn't last long. The moment he and Hilda walked through the doors, he cursed under his breath. _How could I forget?_ he asked himself.

He and Hilda were surrounded by news reporters. Cameras and news vans had been parked outside the hospital all this time, waiting for statements.

One of the reporters recognized Ethan from the pier and rushed forward, microphone in hand. "Excuse me, young man. What happened on the bridge today? Was that young man your friend? He fell, right? Could you tell us anything about his condition?"

"We're not saying anything!" Hilda cried. "Leave us alone!" She held on to Ethan tightly as they weaved through the crowd. The army of reporters gave pursuit, desperate for footage. Ethan was so exhausted that he could barely keep up with Hilda.

"This is ridiculous!" Hilda snarled, tossing out a Pokémon. "Cottonee, use Cotton Spore!"

Cottonee had a round, cloud-shaped head, with two red eyes and leaves for arms. The leaves at her sides began to wave vigorously. Light balls of cotton floated towards the oncoming crowd. The cotton balls latched on to the front of the crowd, stopping them in their tracks as the cotton weighed them down.

Recalling her Cottonee, Hilda took the opportunity to swerve into a nearby alleyway. Ethan followed close behind her, eager to reach the safety of the Pokémon Center.

At last, their long run came to an end, with the familiar glow of the red and silver building before them.

"What was that Pokémon you had?" Ethan asked as they entered. "Cottonee, you said?"

Hilda nodded. Ethan began typing into his Pokédex for a few moments before a result turned up.

"_Cottonee, the Cotton Puff Pokémon. Cottonee shoots cotton to distract its opponent when attacked, and is so light that it travels around wherever the blowing wind carries it._"

"I found her in Pinwheel Forest," Hilda added. "She was injured. I think she'd been in a battle with a Trainer. I felt bad and I wanted to do something to help. Plus, I figured I would need three Pokémon if I wanted to beat Burgh."

"Burgh?" Ethan repeated. "Who's that?"

"The Gym Leader," she replied simply. "He uses Bug-types."

_Burgh_, Ethan thought to himself. _So that's my next challenge._

As they handed their Pokémon to the nurse, Cheren and Bianca ran up to them. "Did the media try and interview you as well?" he asked.

"Yeah," Hilda answered. "We only just got away."

"It's only going to get worse," Cheren warned. "We need to be careful from now on."

"Yes, you do, Cheren," said a voice.

The others turned around. The voice belonged to the man approaching them from across the room. He wore green, with red pinstriped trousers, and a crimson scarf hung around his neck.

"Burgh," Cheren asked, surprised, "What are you doing here?"

The man named Burgh ran a hand through his wild brown hair. "You four have caused quite a stir here in Castelia City," he explained. "I figured this was the likeliest place to find you. Apart from the hospital, of course. How is your friend?" he asked.

"He's alive," Cheren answered, "but we don't know much else than that."

"Forgive me," Burgh said to the others, "I don't believe we've met. My name, as you've gathered, is Burgh. I'm the Gym Leader here. Cheren here knows that because we battled earlier today. Isn't that right?"

Cheren nodded, flashing his Bug Badge to the others.

"I'm sorry to hear about what happened," Burgh continued, sincerely. "Please pass on my deepest sympathies. But I should probably explain why I'm here. You mentioned something about being careful, Cheren. I can help with that."

"What do you mean?" Cheren asked.

"Look," explained Burgh, "This is bigger than you thought. That gang on the bridge? They're notorious around Castelia City. When word gets out that _they_ were involved in this, the media will be hounding you night and day. It'll be the hottest topic in the city for quite some time, which is why you need to stay out of sight. Especially _you_," he added, pointing to Ethan. "What's your name?"

"I'm Ethan," he answered.

"Well, Ethan," continued Burgh, "I think that I might be able to help you get around. Castelia City's a big place, but there are people hiding around every corner if you're unprepared. Which you _won't_ be after I give you this," He finished, handing Ethan a small chip. "Put this into your cross-transceiver. It'll download a map of the sewers for you."

"The sewers?" Cheren repeated. "That's disgusting! Isn't there any other way to get around?"

Burgh shook his head. "No _safer_ way," he reiterated. "There's an access code to get into the sewers, which only city maintenance and the higher-ups have. Being a Gym Leader, I count as one of those higher-ups."

"This is great," Ethan said gratefully. "Thank you, Burgh. Are you sure it's necessary, though?"

Burgh shrugged. "You never know," he replied. "Better safe than sorry, I guess." He turned to leave before stopping. "Oh, I almost forgot! If you're interested, be sure to make a challenge at my Gym over the next few days. Since there's not much else you can do for your friend right now, why not blow off steam in a battle?"

"There's an idea," Hilda said thoughtfully.

"Are you sure?" Ethan asked. "Shouldn't we be looking out for Riley right now? He needs us more than ever." _Especially now that his cousin walked out_, he thought.

"Burgh's right, though," replied Hilda. "We can't just sit around until he wakes up. Who knows how long it will take? Besides, getting inside would be a disaster. Didn't you _see_ those news crews outside?"

"I… guess you have a point," Ethan admitted. The idea of a Gym battle, while Riley lay on his potential deathbed, felt incredibly selfish.

Hilda saw the concern written on his face. "You know Riley wouldn't want us to wait around forever," she reasoned. "This could be a good distraction for us, too. What d'you reckon?"

Ethan mulled it over. "I'll think about it," he decided.

"Your choice," Burgh said. "The offer's on the table, though. I look forward to seeing you again, hopefully under less grim circumstances." And with that, he was gone.

"He seems nice," Bianca said brightly.

"Did you expect Gym Leaders to be rude?" Cheren asked doubtfully.

Bianca scowled in response.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Ethan barely slept that night. Between Cheren's deep snoring and the thoughts rushing through his mind, he couldn't stay still. Too much had happened in one day: the accident; the Egg hatching; Rebecca deciding to give Riley the Pokémon; Rebecca deciding to leave. He wondered where she was headed. Sinnoh, perhaps. Or maybe back home to Hoenn.

_Maybe_, he thought to himself_, I should go for that Badge. God knows I need something to distract me right now. _

Turning over on to his side for the umpteenth time, Ethan decided to make a challenge at the Castelia Gym tomorrow. It would give him something to do while he and the others waited for Riley to wake up.

_If he ever wakes up at all_, he thought.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, there you go. You'll notice that I'm pushing the Gym battle forward compared to part 1 & 2. It'll all make sense, though. I really hope you liked this chapter, it was hard to write. The kids are maturing a bit and I felt it was time to show that they couldn't just skip along on a happy journey. There needed a sense of insecurity, that not every character is safe. You may have noticed that I bumped the story up to a T rating. I just felt that this chapter was kind of depressing. That, and I plan to give the story a growing sense of maturity. These kids aren't 13/14/15 forever and Unova has become a dangerous place. Please give me some feedback on how you're finding the latest chapters so far. I think the story's come a long way and there's much, much more to expand. I hope you're enjoying the story.  
><strong>

**I'll start working on Chapter 29, hope to have it posted by the end of the month. (And the 8 day countdown begins... now!) Peace, love and sugar, y'all. xylo out.**


	29. Chapter 29: Released

Chapter 29: Released

**A/N: Another chapter down, even earlier than I intended. This is the longest chapter of the story so far, so I hope you enjoyed it. Chapter 30 should be out by the end of the week, which means that BIG NEWS: Pokemon E Black will surpass 100,000 words, a milestone for any fanfiction. It kinda feels right to reach that milestone, especially since 30 is a multiple of 10 (I have OCD tendencies like that :p) Anyway, please R&R, which reminds me: A massive thank you to **Redleafs16 **and **TheMagicManWithThePlan** for their latest reviews. It's great to know that people are still interested in the story after such a long break. Be sure to stick around for the latest updates, because the story's building to something BIG for Ethan over the next 4-5 chapters. Stick around and, as always, thanks for reading - xylo out!**

If Ethan had thought that Striaton City was large, Castelia City was positively monstrous in comparison. The sprawling metropolis was bordered by a circular road that ran around the entire perimeter of the city. Lengthy avenues ran straight through the heart of the city, all of which met at Central Plaza, the city's iconic park.

From the moment they stepped outside, the streets were bustling with citizens headed for work. Stores packed with shoppers lined the avenues. Towering skyscrapers soared high above their heads, full of booming business enterprises. The south side of the city had a distinctive smell of fish thanks to the pier, where dozens of seafood stalls filled the market. But they weren't headed for the streets.

"Burgh was right," Hilda said. "There are way too many people here. Someone's bound to recognize us from yesterday and we'll be trapped. The sewers are the best bet."

"Seriously?" groaned Bianca. "I don't want to sift through filthy old sewers. Imagine the smell!"

"Well, if you don't want to go to the Gym with Ethan," Cheren reasoned, "how about you come with me instead?"

"Where are you going?" Hilda asked. "I thought the plan was to stick together."

"I've already won the Badge, Hilda," Cheren sighed. "I don't need to go back. I'm going to catch a ferry and check out Liberty Island nearby."

Hilda was incredulous. "Are you kidding me?" she asked. "You're going to go off exploring? We're trying to keep a low profile!"

"And that's what I'm doing," Cheren snapped back. "Why would a news crew be snooping around a lighthouse for bunch of teenagers? Besides, only three ferries head there daily. They're not going to have much opportunity to get there."

"I– fine, then!" Hilda snapped, stymied. "You spend the day there with Bianca while Ethan and I go to the Gym."

"Good," said Cheren smugly. "We'll meet back here at five o'clock. C'mon, Bianca. We'll miss the boat if we don't go now."

He led her into the packed crowds, headed for the nearby pier.

Hilda wasn't happy. "Ethan, some days, I swear to God I'd like to smash his head in."

"I know," Ethan said consolingly. "Not today though, please. We're trying to blend in."

The entrance to the sewers was below the pier. Burgh had provided them with the access code along with a map of the sewers. Taking care to make sure that nobody above was looking, Ethan inputted the code. The iron-wrung gate swung open with a loud creak. He and Hilda quickly darted inside before anyone the noise attracted any attention. Making their way down a set of steps, they found themselves in the sprawling maze of sewers beneath Castelia City.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The smell was as bad as Ethan had imagined. It was unbearable. Fortunately, there were raised walkways throughout the sewers; there would be no trekking through the filthy water. Speaking of which, the rushing waterway was the color of green sludge.

Hilda held her nose as they walked. "God, this is _putrid_!" she gasped, gagging at the smell. Ethan had to agree. Burgh's plan may have been a good one in hindsight, but right now, he was regretting every step he took in these dank sewers. Shafts of light streamed in at frequent intervals, negating the need for a flashlight.

"OK," Ethan said, double-checking the digital map on his cross-transceiver, "If we want to reach the Gym, we need to head left here."

They made their way through the twisting canals, moving left, left, right, left, right, right, left, until Ethan lost count of how many turns they had made. He checked his watch; it had been almost half an hour since they first set off.

"I wonder how the others are finding Liberty Island," Hilda grumbled, her blocked nose disguising her voice. "I hate to say it, but I'm actually starting to like Cheren's idea more and more."

"Just be patient," Ethan assured her. "The map says we're nearly there."

"This better be worth it," she rambled on. "Ethan, if we lose this battle, I swear I'm going to-"

"Wait, what?" Ethan stopped in his tracks and swung around to look at Hilda. "_We_?"

"Well, yeah!" Hilda said, rolling her eyes. "I was going to challenge Burgh after Cheren yesterday, but he'd already left the Gym to see what was happening at the bridge."

"Oh," said Ethan. "So, does that mean you'll be battling him first?"

"Not if I die in here," she groaned, her breath ragged. "This smell is making me ill, Ethan. Can we _please_ get a move on?"

"Relax," Ethan responded, "We're here."

He was quite right. A wide passage was carved into the nearby wall. They made their way through, leaving the rancid smell behind them.

Up ahead was a ladder. Ethan led the climb as they made their way up. A manhole plate covered the exit.

"Careful," warned Hilda as he moved to shift the cover. "Slowly, so no one sees."

Taking her advice, Ethan slowly poked his head out of the hole, scanning the area. There didn't seem to be many people around. Taking the chance, he leapt up, giving Hilda a hand as she climbed out of the sewers. She gasped, sucking in fresh air gratefully. "That was awful," she complained. "That smell is gonna be hard to get off our clothes." Rummaging around her backpack, she pulled out a small can of deodorant, spraying her body liberally. She offered it to Ethan. "Want some?"

"I wish," he scoffed. "That's a _girl's _deodorant."

"Oh, grow up, Ethan," she scowled. "Would you rather smell like a girl or a dead body?"

Mumbling under his breath, he yelped as Hilda suddenly sprayed him with a large helping of deodorant. "Hey!" he cried. "Stop it!"

Hilda shook her head. "No way. I'm not hanging around with you if you smell like you're rotting from the inside." She looked at the building in front of them. "C'mon, let's go. This is the Gym."

A lilac building with stained-glass windows stood before them, large and imposing. Ethan recognized the familiar Gym symbol atop the building. They hustled inside before anybody spotted them. As the sliding doors shut behind them, Ethan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't look too relieved," called a voice. "You have a Badge to earn, you know!"

Ethan and Hilda looked up to see Burgh at the other end of the room, wearing a large green cape, looking regal. A large empty space lay between them and Burgh. Luscious plant life surrounded the battlefield, shutting out the hustle and bustle of the city.

"Welcome," he said grandly, "to my Pokémon Gym!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"You're an artist?" Ethan asked, surprised.

"Why, of course!" Burgh replied, showing them his latest painting. "Here, look!"

He handed them a canvas. The painting depicted a colony of Cottonee blowing in the wind, as leaves rustled around them.

"Wow!" breathed Hilda. "It's amazing, Burgh!"

His collection was astounding. Dozens upon dozens of Unova-centric artworks were stacked around his private gallery.

"Thank you," Burgh replied gratefully. "It's nice to know that my work is appreciated."

"What do you mean?" she asked. "Don't you display it? Doesn't Castelia have a museum? Surely they would take artwork from the Gym Leader."  
>Burgh shook his head sadly. "The art world is a brutal industry, I'm afraid. No matter how good you may be, there is always someone who does it better than you. Truthfully, Castelia is a big place where hundreds of people have talent with a brush. You know Nacrene City, correct? The city is the heart of Unova's art world. Many of them come from there to pursue their dreams in the big city. Unfortunately, my responsibilities as a Gym Leader prevent me from spending much time on honing my craft." He sighed wistfully. "Ah, but it still is a wonderful profession, isn't it? Pitting Trainers to the ultimate test of their bond with their treasured friends. I can't think of anything more thrilling."<p>

As if drawing from a trance, he looked back at them. "I'm rambling. You came here for one reason and one reason only, correct? Let's not waste any more time." He turned to Hilda. "Hilda, isn't it? You were the one who meant to challenge me yesterday, weren't you?"

"That's right," Hilda confirmed, "but-"

"But fate got in the way, of course," Burgh finished for her. "My sincerest apologies. We'll commence shortly, if you'd still like to make a challenge." He turned to Ethan. "Ethan, if you'd like, you can take your place in the viewing gallery."

"Sure," said Ethan, heading to the side of the room.

"Now," continued Burgh, his attention fully devoted to Hilda, "Let's begin, shall we?"

He withdrew a remote from his pocket. Pushing a button, the floor in front of them began to sink into the ground. Up emerged a dense forest, complete with thick-leaved trees. As Hilda took her place on the opposite side of the field, she could just see him through the thick plant life. Immediately, she understood the trick to the Gym.

"You see, don't you?" Burgh called from across the other side of the battlefield. "Or rather, it's what you _don't_ see. I created a field like this for the perfect challenge. If you can barely see your opponents, you have to rely on your instincts. Of course, there's more to it than that. You may have trouble seeing your own Pokémon through the bushes," he explained. "This puts your bond of trust to the ultimate test. Interesting concept, no?" He smiled, clearly proud of his Gym.

"It's unique," Hilda agreed, "but my Pokémon and I have nothing to worry about. We share a very close bond."

"I look forward to seeing it in action," Burgh smiled. "You have three Pokémon, I assume?"

Hilda pulled out her three Poké Balls. "I sure do," she replied, waving them at him.

"Wonderful!" Burgh beamed. "Me, too! The battle will be over when either side is unable to fight anymore. Obviously, I'm not allowed to swap Pokémon, but you're free to, should you choose to."

He pointed skywards. "Here's to a good battle! Dwebble, you're first up!"

Tossing out his first Poké Ball, Burgh's smile gleamed as his first partner emerged. Ethan immediately reached into his pocket, withdrawing his Pokédex. Dexter beeped as it scanned the opposing Pokémon before speaking: "_Dwebble, the Rock Inn Pokémon. After finding a suitable rock, Dwebble digs a hole in the rock's bottom to use as a protective shell. Dwebble can make rocks easier to carve by producing a liquid from its mouth._"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

The orange hermit crab growled. Hilda eyed its sturdy rock shell suspiciously. She wondered what was underneath. She didn't like being surprised in a Pokémon battle. She preferred knowing as much as possible about her opponent, so as to work out a potential strategy. Reading the data on her Pokédex, she mulled over her choices. _Dwebble's a Bug and Rock-type_, she thought to herself. _Cottonee's a Grass-type_. _She's going to have trouble in this Gym. Hmm… Can't use Munna either, Psychic-types are at a disadvantage._ She began to worry. All Burgh had done was choose a Pokémon and she was already backed into a corner. _I guess choice isn't a luxury right now, _she decided. _Oh well, I can still take the upper hand. Besides, Ethan hasn't seen my new Pokémon yet._

"Dewott, I choose you!" she cried, hurling out a Poké Ball. Out from the Ball emerged the otter Pokémon. Entirely blue, she stood on two black feet with two scalchops hanging by her waist. Hilda felt a rush of pride. This was her very first battle with her newly-evolved Oshawott.

Ethan stared in surprise. He'd completely forgotten about Hilda's Oshawott. _I guess she managed to evolve Oshawott. Water's got an advantage against Rock-types, too. Hilda's taking the upper hand from the get-go._

Burgh raised an eyebrow. "Dewott, huh? Good choice, you get the type advantage."

"Thanks," Hilda said, but she was wary. _If Burgh's happy enough to point out my advantage, he must have a confident strategy._ "Dewott, are you ready?"

Dewott gave a nod and squeaked, withdrawing its scalchops.

_Better not rush this_, Hilda told herself. _We'll start out nice and safe._ "Dewott, start it off with a Focus Energy, OK?"

Dewott sucked in air, a bright glow emanating from her body. When the light disappeared, Dewott took a combat stance, fired up and ready to attack.

"Your attacks will certainly be powerful," Burgh commented, "but how would you feel if Dwebble were to dodge those attacks?"

Without a command, Dwebble knew instinctively how to start. Squeaking, he scuttled around, digging a hole into the ground with his claws. Within seconds, Dwebble was beneath the ground and out of sight.

_That was Dig!_ Hilda realized. _Hmm, we'll need to draw it out somehow._ "Dewott, fire a Water Gun into the hole," she decided.

Dewott jumped agilely through the tree branches. Keeping her distance from the hole, Dewott spat a jet of water into the hole. Holding position on the branch, she waited for the opportunity to pounce.

"Dwebble," Burgh called from his side of the field, "Use Protect."

Nothing happened. Hilda wondered what Dwebble was doing.

She didn't have to wait long. Within moments, Dewott's Water Gun attack came gushing back out from the hole in the ground. From her position on the field, Hilda could barely see what was happening over by Burgh's side. What she _did_ see, however, was Dewott fall from the branch as her Water Gun attack struck her directly.

"What just happened?" Hilda asked, confused.

Burgh shrugged. "I'm afraid Dwebble had a countermeasure for that. How could we not? Dig renders Dwebble open to attack, after all."

Hilda cursed her mistake. She'd expected to bring her A-game to this battle and so far, she wasn't off to a good start. "Dewott's just fine," she said fiercely. "That attack would have barely done a thing."

Indeed, she saw Dewott jump right back up, still battle-ready.

"Well, then," Burgh said thoughtfully, "We'd best see how much _this _attack does. Dwebble, show off your X-Scissor attack."

Dwebble crossed his claws together, glowing a light blue. Pouncing off a nearby tree trunk, he leapt for Dewott, a large burst of energy growing from his claws.

"We won't be beaten that easily," Hilda countered, smirking. "Dewott, get those scalchops ready and intercept with Razor Shell!"

Dewott readied her glowing scalchops. As Dwebble landed, she launched a counterattack, her scalchops slicing like swords. Dewott and Dwebble traded blows, back and forth. Both Pokémon seemed to be equally matched.

Dewott was faster, though. After sensing an opening in the attack, she struck, landing a savage blow on Dwebble's shell, leaving it cracked and vulnerable.

Burgh was playing seriously now. "Get back, Dwebble!" he ordered. "That Dewott is fast!"

Dwebble retreated, increasing the distance between the two Pokémon.

"Nice hit," Burgh complimented Hilda. "Your Dewott knows how to play the game. But Dwebble and I haven't had our fun yet. Dwebble, Rock Wrecker!"

"Uh oh," Hilda breathed; Rock Wrecker was a dangerous move. She'd best get her Dewott out of the way. Burgh seemed awfully confident of its power.

_Wait_, she thought, _maybe I can use that confidence against him._

Ethan watched on in admiration. Hilda was certainly fighting her own battle out there. She'd hardly lost her composure, even against Burgh's cool, calm demeanor. He wondered how much longer she could keep it up, though.

"Dewott!" Hilda decided, putting her plan into action. "Use Focus Energy!"

As Dewott stored up even more energy, Dwebble attacked. A rock rose from the hole in the ground. Dwebble held it between his claws as the rock grew bigger in size. When the rock dwarfed Dewott in size, Dwebble aimed and sent the boulder hurtling straight for Dewott.

"Now, Dewott!" Hilda ordered. "Split it in half with Fury Cutter!"

Ethan and Burgh watched in surprise as little Dewott made a clean slash at the monstrous boulder. With one blow, the boulder split into pieces and fell to the ground.

Hilda smiled in triumph. Burgh had clearly expected her to dodge the attack. Instead, she had decided to face it head-on. It clearly had an effect on Burgh, who had a look of both surprise and admiration.

"Dewott, finish it off with another Fury Cutter!" Hilda cried.

Dewott squeaked and pounced, striking Dwebble's vulnerable shell with three sharpened claws. The powered-up attack was incredibly effective. Dwebble's shell shattered and the blow struck Dwebble's soft body, hidden until now.

With a cry of pain, Dwebble collapsed under Dewott's weight; he was down.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Burgh recalled his Dwebble. "Impressive work," he remarked. "You and your Dewott clearly have a close bond, even though I had the advantage at the beginning. I can certainly see how you've earned your first two Badges."

"Thank you," Hilda said, looking at Dewott with a rush of pride. "We've been training hard." She thought back to the days since the Challenge Rock Tournament, where she had narrowly lost to Cheren. Her training regimen since then had been rigorous, to say the least.

"But," Burgh continued, retrieving a second Poké Ball from his pocket, "I'm afraid you'll find my next Pokémon much more challenging." He tossed out his second choice, revealing a strange-looking Pokémon. It had two eyes, but its entire body was encased in some kind of grey shell, making it look like some kind of wheel, only with feelers and horns. She recognized this Pokémon from Cheren's Gym Battle. This was a Whirlipede.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"_Whirlipede, the Curlipede Pokémon. Whirlipede can spin its hard shelled body like a tire to smash into opponents._"

Ethan put his Pokédex away, staring at the strange Pokémon. It was a Bug-type, he knew that much. It looked quite poisonous, however. Purple liquid oozed from one of its horns. He began to pray that Hilda knew what she was doing.

"You'll stay in, Dewott," Hilda said fiercely. She remembered that Cheren's Venipede evolved into a Whirlipede. _Bug and Poison-type, huh? That's fine with Dewott._ Still, she planned to keep her distance from the poisonous-looking opponent. "Dewott, use Water Pulse!"

Dewott spat out jets of water, using her hands to form the water into a large blue orb. Then, she sent it spinning towards the Whirlipede.

"Whirlipede, Iron Defense," Burgh called calmly. Hilda watched with despair as Whirlipede's body glinted with silver steel just as Dewott's Water Pulse hit. The water splashed over Whirlipede into tiny droplets, rendering the attack useless.

"Such a shame," Burgh said, sighing. "You just handed me the match. Whirlipede, use Solarbeam!"

"No way!" Hilda cried. "Dewott, get out of the way!" Solarbeam was super effective against her Water-type.

Whirlipede's horns touched together as he absorbed the power of the sun from the glass above them. A blinding gold blast of light shot straight from Whirlipede's horns. The attack was so powerful that the trees on the battlefield rustled as the attack seared across the field.

It was too powerful to miss. The attack spanned the entire length of the field and hit Dewott. With a cry, Dewott succumbed to the powerful attack.

"No, Dewott!" Hilda cried as her partner fell in defeat. She didn't know Burgh's Whirlipede knew such a move. "Good move," she admitted, sadly recalling her unconscious Dewott.

"Thank you," Burgh replied, bowing. "Normally, a Whirlipede wouldn't be able to naturally learn a move like that. But I have my own methods," he finished, with a knowing smile.

_That was careless of me_, Hilda admitted to herself. _I got cocky. We're going to have to be more careful from now on._ Her heart sank when she realized her two choices. _Munna and Cottonee? But they're both at a disadvantage to a Bug/Poison-type!_

An idea came to her head. _Wait… I may have a weakness to Burgh's Pokémon. But what if I evened the scales?_

Her mind made up, Hilda tossed out her second choice. "Munna, you're up!"

The little Psychic-type hummed quietly as she emerged, floating weightlessly off the ground.

"Interesting," Burgh remarked. "I guess we're both at a type disadvantage."

Hilda wasn't going to waste any time. "Munna, Hypnosis!" she commanded.

Munna began to hum softly, emitting psychic waves across the field. Slowly lulling Whirlipede to sleep, Munna began to smile happily.

"Alright, Munna, hit it with a Zen Headbutt!" Hilda cried. She knew there was no way Burgh could wriggle out of this attack.

Burgh winced as Munna struck Whirlipede directly. Whirlipede, although hissing in pain, remained asleep.

"Ha!" Hilda crowed. "Great work, Munna, we're almost there! Now- _What_?!"

Munna began to inexplicably whimper in pain. Hilda stared in horror as her partner turned ill. "What's happened?" she cried.

Burgh smiled. "You made direct contact with my Whirlipede, activating its ability. Ever heard of Poison Point?"

"Oh, you've got to be kidding!" Hilda groaned as Munna's body emitted a faint purple hue, the telltale signs of poison. "Wait!" she exclaimed. "Munna, activate Synchronize!"

But Burgh shook his head. "That won't work, I'm afraid, Hilda," he said. "Whirlipede is a poison type: he can't _be _poisoned."

"Damn," Hilda murmured under her breath, "now what?"

"Oh, look," Burgh said delightedly, pointing to his Whirlipede. "It looks like my friend has decided to rejoin the fight. Whirlipede, Steamroller."

"Munna, use Moonlight!" Hilda cried out in a last-ditch effort, but she was too slow. Whirlipede spun around and around like a spinning wheel, crashing through the field, tearing the greenery asunder as he rolled straight for Munna. Rolling up the nearby slope of a tree trunk, Whirlipede bounced and stuck Munna directly. The direct attack was simply too powerful for the Psychic-type to bear. As Munna took residual damage from the poison running through her body, she fell out of the air and landed on the ground in a crumpled heap.

"No!" Hilda moaned in despair. "Munna, I'm so sorry!"

From the sidelines, Ethan gritted his teeth in frustration. Burgh wasn't lying when he said his Whirlipede was tough to crack. He had never seen such power. Now, Hilda was down two Pokémon in barely five minutes. _It's going to be down to the wire_, he thought nervously.

Burgh shook his head sadly. "Oh dear," he said, "It looks like your Munna had quite an unfortunate streak of luck there. But you _must_ press on, Hilda," he encouraged. "You've come so far since the start of our battle. Where's that spark I saw earlier? As long as you have a Pokémon, you can still fight, no?"

But Hilda wasn't listening. She was too busy worrying about her final Pokémon. _But I haven't been training Cottonee for long enough!_ she thought wildly. _How can she beat his last two Pokémon when she's disadvantaged?_

As if reading her mind, Burgh spoke again. "You shouldn't bog yourself down with simply the technicalities of Pokémon battling, Hilda," he explained. "Just because a Pokémon is at an advantage or a disadvantage doesn't mean they can't pull out a few surprises."

_This is it_, Hilda told herself. _It's got to be now or never, Cottonee._ As she recalled her Munna, she replaced it with her final Pokémon. "You're my last chance, Cottonee. Let's do this!"

Cottonee floated in place of Munna, singing gently.

"Very well," Burgh said, "Let's begin. Whirlipede, Steamroller!"

"Oh, no you don't!" Hilda countered fiercely as Whirlipede began his lethal rampage once more. "Cottonee, Cotton Spore!"

Cottonee shook her leaves back and forth several times, shooting balls of cotton towards the oncoming Whirlipede. As the cotton landed, it stuck to the rolling Pokémon, slowing its progress.

"That's more like it," Hilda commented, grinning. "Now, Razor Leaf! But keep your distance, Cottonee; you don't want to get poisoned."

The leaves on Cottonee's sides shot like an arrow for the advancing Whirlipede. They sliced the Poison-type as they struck. Unfortunately, the attack wasn't strong enough to damage Whirlipede, but they did stop the attack. Whirlipede spun backwards, preparing to retreat.

"Not so fast," Hilda taunted. "Cottonee, Giga Drain."

Beams of light shot from Cottonee to Whirlipede as the Grass-type greedily sapped the life out of the Gym Leader's Pokémon.

"Perfect," Burgh interrupted, his perfect smile gleaming. "Whirlipede, hit it with Poison Sting!"

Whirlipede turned around and rolled straight for Cottonee, who tried to break her energy-sapping attack.

"Stop attacking, Cottonee!" Hilda shrieked, but her Pokémon wasn't listening. Instead, Cottonee merely quivered with fear as Whirlipede soared up and struck with its poison-seeped horns.

"No!" Hilda cried in despair, watching Cottonee squeal in pain. To top it off, Whirlipede had successfully managed to inflict poison on yet another of her Pokémon.

"Well done, Whirlipede!" Burgh said happily.

Hilda looked on in blank shock. _This can't go on_, she told herself. _If I keep on fighting, Cottonee will-_

She stood tall, looking Burgh in the eye, refusing to let any weakness show on her face. "Cottonee, return," she called, holding out her Poké Ball.

Burgh stopped, confused. "Are you-?"

"Yes, I am," Hilda announced with a heavy heart. "I forfeit this Gym battle."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Ethan watched in shock. The battle had turned sour so quickly. One minute, Hilda had Burgh right where she wanted him; the next, she was forfeiting.

"I commend you on your wise decision," Burgh replied, withdrawing his Whirlipede. "Had we continued, I think your Cottonee would have taken a serious step backwards in her training."

"To be honest," Hilda confessed sadly, "I haven't spent much time with Cottonee. I mean, I've been _training_, but… well, Dewott and Munna have had much more practice, I guess."

"Understandable," Burgh replied, nodding in agreement. "Which makes it all the wiser for you to have stopped before things got out of hand. That said," he continued, his face stern, "If I had known Cottonee was as weak as she is, I would have preferred that you not battle with her at all."

There was no nice way of putting it, but Hilda had to agree with Burgh. "You're right," he said with a heavy sigh. "It was stupid of me. I was so desperate to win that I… well, I stopped thinking about my Pokémon."

Burgh smiled in response. "I'm very impressed, Hilda. You're doing right by yourself _and _your Pokémon when you take on lessons like this. I hope that you take what you learned from today and apply it in the most effective way possible when it comes to training your Pokémon. Not just physical training, either," he added quickly, before turning to Ethan. "This goes for you as well, Ethan. I want the two of you to spend plenty of time getting to know your partners better. Remember, they aren't just tools. They're your friends, there to defend and test the bond between them and you. Nothing should be more important than strengthening that bond, not even battling." Burgh looked deadly serious now. Ethan knew he needed to take this into account if he stood a chance of winning the Bug Badge.

Burgh took Hilda's Poké Balls from her. "If you'd like, I can heal your Pokémon here."

"Thank you," Hilda said gratefully. She turned to Ethan. "Good luck."

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

And then it was Ethan's turn. Hilda took his place in the sidelines, watching in silence.

Burgh stood opposite Ethan, his Pokémon healed and ready to battle once more. "Are you ready, Ethan?" he asked.

Ethan opened his mouth to reply, but paused. Truthfully, he wasn't sure. After seeing how easily Burgh's Whirlipede had ripped through Hilda's team, he wasn't sure if he had the firepower to counter it. Plus, guilt had been gnawing away at him ever since they stepped foot inside the Gym. _Is this really right?_ he asked himself doubtfully. _While Riley's fighting for his life, I'm fighting for just another Gym Badge… I don't know if I can do this._

Burgh shook his head disdainfully. "Your silence is deafening, Ethan," he called. "I will not battle a challenger who isn't confident in their ability to win. You're clearly preoccupied. I want you stop thinking right now."

"Huh?" Ethan murmured as he was pulled out of his stupor.

Burgh continued. "So you've seen what my team can do. You've seen their potential. But let me ask you this, Ethan: _so what?_

If every Trainer doubted themselves upon facing a formidable threat, we wouldn't have Pokémon Champions, would we? You need to stop worrying about what _could_ happen, and start planning for what you _want_ to happen.

You'll never win your battles if you keep the negativity inside you. Sooner or later, it's bound to explode and you'll end up all the worse for it. You need to _release_ everything: your concerns; your doubts; your fears; all of it."

Now he was making sense. Ethan looked up, realizing what he meant. _This isn't just about me and my Pokémon_, he realized. _He wants me to let go of Riley! But… is that really what's best for me? For us?_

Burgh spoke once more. "Now, let's start again. Ethan: _are you ready to battle?_"

_I can't do anything for Riley anymore. All I can do is trust that he's strong enough to wake up. So… can I release my doubts?_

"Yes!" Ethan responded defiantly, releasing his inhibitions. Projecting confidence was the key, for both him and his Pokémon. "Let's battle!"

Burgh beamed. "Glad to hear it," he replied. "Now, for my first Pokémon," he considered, "I think I'll go with Dwebble again."

Dwebble reemerged, healthy and just as vicious as before.

_OK_, Ethan told himself calmly. _It's a Rock and Bug-type, so Rufflet will struggle. Deino's a possibility, though. And then there's- wait, that's perfect!_

"Tirtouga, I'm picking you!" Ethan cried, sending out his response to Burgh's Dwebble. Tirtouga cawed at his opponent.

"Interesting Pokémon," Burgh remarked. "Let's see what you can do."

The adrenalin was well and truly pumping through his veins now. Fired up, Ethan pointed directly at Dwebble. "Tirtouga, take it down with Aqua Jet!"

The usually slow Pokémon used the move to its advantage. Thanks to Aqua Jet's priority, Tirtouga soared across the field in a trail of water, spinning around and around.

The attack hit home and Dwebble scuttled around furiously, having taken a severe beating from the super effective attack.

Burgh looked calm as ever. "Dwebble, Dig."

Immediately, Dwebble burrowed deep underground, eager to shield itself from any further attacks. Ethan quickly realized what Burgh was doing. Having pitted Dwebble against another Water-type during Hilda's battle, he was opening with the same strategy, the strategy that had landed a blow on Dewott.

_But not this time_, he thought fiercely. "Tirtouga, use Brine!" he barked, eager to try out the new move Tirtouga had learned several days earlier.

With a loud croak, Tirtouga shot a powerful stream of water from its mouth, quickly filling the hole Dwebble was digging.

Burgh sighed. "Repeat battles grow tiring easily," he remarked. "Dwebble, use Protect."

Ethan imagined Dwebble conjuring the protective wall beneath the ground. Undoubtedly, Tirtouga's attack was about to rebound back at him.

"Who said anything about a repeat?" Ethan countered. "Tirtouga, use Ancientpower. Bury that hole with rocks!"

"Oh no!" Burgh gasped, disarmed for the first time all day. Tirtouga summoned rocks that rained down from above, sealing the hole. Now, Dwebble was trapped inside, most likely drowning in the flooded hole.

"It's your turn to panic now," Ethan said fiercely. "Dwebble's stuck. What are you going to do?"

"Dwebble, dig yourself out of there!" Burgh cried.

Beneath the ground, Ethan could hear the frenzied scratching as Dwebble approached the surface.

"Tirtouga: use Aqua Jet the moment Dwebble pops out!" Ethan commanded.

There was nothing Burgh could do. Tirtouga simply moved too fast for either to counterattack. As Tirtouga struck once again with the super effective attack, Dwebble squealed as he fell limp, looking pathetic tiny with half his shell buried underground.

Burgh sighed in defeat. "An excellent counter-strategy," he admitted, recalling his Pokémon. "That was quite a battle."

"You bet it was," breathed Ethan, feeling much better than he had before the start of the battle. "Tirtouga and I have been training hard ever since we met," he explained. "He was stolen when I first got him. After I rescued him, I felt responsible for making it up to him."

Burgh looked impressed. "You've certainly done a marvelous job so far," he commented. "But I wonder how you'll fare against my next Pokémon. I think you can guess which one-"

He was interrupted by a ringing noise. Ethan looked down. His cross-transceiver was ringing. "One minute," he excused himself, accepting the call. "Hello?"

"Ethan!" Cheren's panicked face appeared on his screen. "Is Burgh there?"

"Wha- yeah, he is," Ethan replied quickly. "What's wrong, Cheren? Where are you?"

"Tell him… tell him to get to Liberty Island!" Cheren exclaimed. "There are thieves here and they're… they're stealing Pokémon!"

The call ended.

"Burgh!" Ethan cried. "Cheren and Bianca are on Liberty Island. They say there's been a robbery there!"

Burgh nodded, his face deadly serious. "Understood. This battle is suspended until the crisis is averted, clear?"

Ethan nodded in agreement. "Hilda, we need to go!"

She jumped up from the sidelines and ran to meet them as they moved for the exit.

"Hang on," Hilda said as they stepped outside. "People will see us if we're out here!"

"There's no time," Burgh insisted. "Our priority is stopping these criminals. Hurry! If we run, we can catch the next ferry!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**


End file.
